Winterfest & Non Profits

Amanda Blake, 2009 Parade Captain

We are two months away from the 2010 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 6:30pm. Winterfest would like to see our boating community team up with their neighbors to secure a boat, decorate it, fill it with festive passengers, and enter it in this year's boat parade!

Entering the parade is much simpler than most people think! Winterfest is here to help you along the way. We can help you with decorating tips, charter suggestions, parade procedures, etc.. This year's theme is "Dancing Thru The Decades".  The Winterfest Boat Parade is the world's most watched boat parade, the largest spectator event in the State of Florida, the 7th largest spectator event in the country, and the top 20th parade in the world !

We are excited about implementing a new program into this year's parade. This year we are encouraging every boat entry to represent a charity of their choice. This concept is actively embraced by the local non-profit community and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the main event sponsor. We anticipate dynamic parade participation by some of the area's most prominent charities in this year's parade! This charity participation can be accomplished in one of several forms:

• Our preferred option involves a charity working with the boating community to secure a boat entry . This evolves from the charity's initiative. The charity can ask a friend or associate to host their charity on their boat or charter their own boat. The charity can help decorate the boat, create the signage, and staff the boat with their own passengers thereby creating a fundraising opportunity. Winterfest is researching a number of cost effective boat charter opportunities to help charities accomplish this option. A private boat entry hosting a non-profit will only be charged a $35 entry fee.

• Another option involves a charity's banner or sign being displayed on each side of a boat owned by an existing parade entry. This option is at the discretion and preference of the boat owner. Winterfest will ask existing boat parade entries if they would like to represent a charity on their boat with signage. This will not be a parade requirement but if they are receptive, we will give them the option to choose their own charity.

• Finally, on occasion a special showboat parade entry may present to Winterfest a fundraiser opportunity on their boat. This would allow a charity to charge a designated number of passengers a fee to ride the showboat during the parade.  

Check out our "Winterfest & Non Profits" tab along the top of this blog.