2010 Indian Rocks Holiday Street Parade

Sunday, December 8th, 2010

BOAT CLUB MEMBERS KAREN & GEORGE LAUFENBURGER donated the use of their boat and captained it, once again representing our club in the annual Indian Rocks Holiday Street Parade.

In honor of those who have served and are serving in our Armed Forces, the Veterans Boat Parade kicked off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 13th. The procession of 45-50 boats began just north of the Madeira Beach Causeway in front of the American Legion and traveled south near the shoreline through John’s Pass to the Treasure Island Bridge. Our Boat Club won honorable mentions for the Molly Bloom, a large, 40′ catamaran, owned by IRB residents and Boat Club members, Ron Zellmer and Marie Shine and for IRB residents and Boat Club members Karen & George Laufenburger’s deck boat.

Our dedicated Boat Club members gathered at 8 a.m. at the 15th Avenue Boat Ramp for this semi-annual event. Even our members without boats “stowed away” and helped remove trash from the waters we love.

The IRB Boat Club provided volunteers and boats to help patrol the perimeter of the race course at the 2010 Clearwater Super Boat Races. Jerry & Linda Newton’s Blue Waters (pictured below) was selected to be the course guide at Turn 2 at the north end of the race. A great day of excitement on the water!

About 15 boats filled with Boat Club members gathered to bid farewell to another summer of fabulous boating. We converged on the northernmost island in IRB, just south of the Belleair Causeway, about 4 p.m. In our last hurrah to summer, we enjoyed one another’s company and delicious grillout…taking consolation in the fact that next summer will even be better!

We didn’t just party on the island at the End-of-Summer Party…WE ADOPTED IT!! In conjunction with Tampa Bay Watch, a non-profit stewardship program to protect and restore Tampa Bay’s marine and wetland environments, our Boat Club will now be responsible for keeping IRB’s northernmost island clean. Pictured below is Boat Club President Bob Griffin staking claim. A special thanks to the City of IRB for donating the sign pole.

In preparation for potential effects of the Gulf Oil Spill, our Boat Club participated in a Special Intracoastal Clean-up, sponsored by Keep Pinellas Beautiful. We were responsible for the area from the Belleair Causeway (where we met at 8 a.m.), south to The Pub in Indian Shores, which sponsored a Post Clean-up Party with food and drinks for all the volunteers. Bill Sanders, Keep Pinellas Beautiful’s director was also in charge of signing up Pinellas volunteers to clean up oil from the beaches, should the need arise, and our Boat Club stepped up. (Fortunately, our services for this activity were not needed!)

Our Boat Club had about 20 boats attend this event and we “took over” the Salt Rock’s entire back patio! The restaurant opened an hour early for us and fed us FREE appetizers! Mmmm. Just one of the many “benes” of being an IRB Boat Club member!

This was our Boat Club’s second trip here and 60 people (some boaters, some ride-a-longs and some road warriors) enjoyed beautiful weather and a brunch that is second to none! This event will definitely be a repeat next year so don’t miss it!