Biggest Turnout To Date Looms For Hartwell Lake Charity Run
Right now, the extensive grounds around Chuck Stark’s home in Anderson, S.C., look like the high-performance powerboat section of a Barrett-Jackson auction, only with a lot more brand variety. And not all of the exotic catamarans and V-bottoms belong to Stark, a noteworthy collector of such fine objects of performance-art who is known for his outgoing personality and great taste in go-fast boats.
The exotic-boat collection at Chuck Stark’s home is growing by the minute ahead of this weekend’s Hartwell Lake Charity Run.
Why all the high-dollar marine hardware at Casa Stark? The 15th annual Hartwell Lake Charity Run benefitting Meals On Wheels-Anderson is on tap this weekend.
“I think there are 120 boats registered so far,” said Stark, the event’s biggest cheerleader and most engaging ambassador. “There will be probably 12 to 15 boats at my dock this weekend.”
Though the Hartwell happening has been growing steadily for the past several years, it’s getting a big push from an unlikely source this time around. Storm-deposited debris in Lake Barkley and (to a lesser extent) Kentucky Lake at last weekend’s Kuttawa Cannonball Run kept many of the 160-plus registered boats off the water on Friday. Foul weather kept the entire fleet off the water on Saturday.
The result is pent-up demand for early season boating, and the Hartwell Lake Charity Run is the beneficiary.
“Everyone is dying to run their boats after Kuttawa,” Stark explained. “People are ready go right now.”
The 15-year milestone for the event has the organizers as excited for this weekend as the participants.
“I can’t believe it has been 15 years of the Charity Run,” says Laurie Ashley, the executive director of Meals on Wheels – Anderson, in a press release issued this afternoon. “It is truly amazing to think of how the event has grown and changed to become the exciting weekend on the water it is today.”
The Hartwell Lake event has been attracting well-known high-performance marine hardware for the past several years.
The weekend’s fun begins with Thursday night’s ticketed event, “Social on the Green,” presented by Crowe’s Corporate Promotions and First Bank featuring live music by Talbert Black, catered food by Sullivan’s Metropolitan Grill and boats on display. Tickets will be available onsite.
The Friday night Street Party will feature live music from The Vinyl Junkies, catered dinner by Creekside Bar-be-que, local vendor displays and a live auction. Saturday’s main event on the water kicks off at 11 a.m.
Featuring music from the Tailgate Homeboys and catered by Renee B. Hall, the Hartwell Lake Charity Run After Party is set for Saturday night. Tickets for the event will be for sale on site.
We really have a little bit of everything for everyone to come out and enjoy over the entire weekend,” said Haley Daniel, the special events coordinator at Meals on Wheels – Anderson, in the release. “While this is a boating-centric event, we have plenty of good food, entertainment and activities for the community at large to come and enjoy at Anderson County’s Green Pond Landing.”
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