Now in its 5th year, the Old Hickory Fun Run brought to you by the Tennessee Powerboat Club saw bunch of new boaters at the event and a few new elements. On Friday, Justin Lucas lead a group of 18 boats down the river to Nashville. They locked through at the Old Hickory Dam and then boated to downtown where they had reserved docks. This gave them the ability to stay in hotels in downtown Nashville, get up Saturday morning, and head back up to Old Hickory for the start of the Fun Run.
Event organizer and powerboat enthusiast Chad Collier told us the event was great, great weather, great turnout and great boating. He couldn’t have been more appreciative and complimentary of his team, Alita and Gary Clarke and Justin Lucas. Chad said this team along with so many other volunteers really made the difference. The real deal of the Nashville Run is the people, the place, and just how damn much fun it is. The bar crawl down Broadway and all the live music make for an incredible weekend even if you don’t bring your boat, as many Fun Run participants have found out and simply show up to have FUN!
The real winner of the weekend is the event charity, and now for the second year all of the event proceeds, plus the donations are given to Operation Stand Down Tennessee (OSDTN) who provides a wide range of supportive services for Veterans and their families throughout Tennessee—all at no cost to them. OSDTN provides transitional housing, VA benefits counseling, employment services, and homelessness prevention to Veterans and their families. This Veteran Service Center (VSC) is the only one in Tennessee recognized by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the organization maintains a close partnership with the VA and ensures veterans receive all the benefits and services to which they are entitled.
Chad said, “I am thrilled to work with Operation Stand Down again and look forward to a continued relationship.” they are still counting the donations up but later this week we will learn just how sizable it is going to end up being.
A very special thanks to Robert Summers for providing all the great photography.
