FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, Georgia, July 1, 2019 — Three judges are ready to pick the winners at the Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest: two from Georgia and one from Florida. Tony Buzella, J.J. Rolle, and Tim Teasley will mark finalists on originality of lyrics and music, musical consistency, showing the integrity and value of the waters, historical value, performance, and more. Radio personality Chris Beckham of Tifton will M.C.
Continue readingUpdate 2019-06-19: Ticket sales are closed. See you there!
Even if you aren’t paddling on the Withlacoochee and Suwannee with Paddle Georgia, you can still enjoy the end of trip feast with this dinner ticket, if you buy within a week.
Live entertainment by First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest Winner Laura D’Alisera and catering of catfish (with vegetarian option) by The Salty Snapper of Valdosta.
Dinner is served at 6PM but entertainment will be before and after the meal.
Spend a relaxing evening with good food and entertainment and support your local rivers. The venue is right next to the Suwannee River, in Dowling Park, Suwannee County, Florida.
Tickets: $25 each, online
When:
Get your tickets online by noon, Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Dinner: 5:30 PM, Friday, June 21, 2019
Where:
Advent Christian Village,
10680 Dowling Park Dr, Live Oak, FL 32060
Remember to get your tickets by noon, Wednesday, June 19, so we can get a final count to the caterer, The Salty Snapper.
And coming up Continue reading
Volunteers are signed up for the WWALS booth at Florida Folk Festival. We’ll have the froggy toss game for small children, paddling and advocacy material for adults, the Enviroscape for those in between.
When:
6:30 PM – 11 PM, Friday, May 24, 2019
10 AM – 11 PM, Saturday, May 25, 2019
10 AM – 11 PM, Sunday, May 26, 2019
Where: Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, 11016 Lillian Sanders Dr, White Springs, FL 32096
What: Music, food, dance, crafts, and culture, since 1952.
Event: facebook
Photo:
John S. Quarterman, at 2018 Florida Folk Festival.
Maybe some songwriters would like to send in songs for the Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Thanks again to Continue reading
For Immediate Release
Tifton, Georgia, May 1, 2019 — “This was the first year a canoe finished first to win the $100 cash prize,” said Bret Wagenhorst, main organizer of the BIG Little River Paddle Race, last Saturday, April 27, at Reed Bingham State Park. “It was a two-person canoe of gentlemen from Gray, GA: Wayne Hale and Terry Donahue.”
![[Tandem male canoe, green (BW)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/gretchen/2019-04-27--wwals-blrpr/58574788_10220164494801743_2653850572687409152_n.jpg)
Tandem male canoe, green (BW)
Photo: Bret Wagenhorst, of
Wayne Hale and Terry Donahue winning the BIG Little River Paddle Race. They won in the male tandem canoe category last year, and they won overall this year.
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, “Thanks to the paddle race sponsors, Dr. Bret Wagenhorst, Georgia Beer Company, and Cook Medical Center.”
Dr. Wagenhorst added, “Thanks to all the paddlers from across Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, as far away as Mexico, who came out on a glorious south GA spring day to help raise money for the WWALS Watershed Coalition and the Friends of Reed Bingham State Park group by paddling a scenic and winding stretch of the Little River. Lots of fun in the sun for friends and families.”
First woman across the finish in a solo kayak was Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Valdosta, Georgia, April 26, 2019 — We’ll get a nice cool spring morning start Saturday, as paddlers from Georgia and Florida race (or saunter) down the tea-colored Little River through Reed Bingham State Park, in a friends and family fun event.
“Thanks to Georgia Beer Company for being a sponsor of this seventh annual BIG Little River Paddle Race!” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.
Photo: Bret Wagenhorst, of BLRPR 2018.
Dianne Walters, president of Friends of Reed Bingham State Park (FORB), said, “This is a great community event, with volunteers from all around helping paddlers from everywhere.”
BLRPR mastermind, Tifton eye doctor Bret Wagenhorst, said, “Some come to try for the $100 cash prize for first boat to cross the finish in around 35-40 minutes. Others come to do a leisurely 1-2 hr paddle with friends or family and take in the incredible subtropical scenery. Some do it to support the Friends of Reed Bingham group and the WWALS Watershed Coalition.”
Many others win in categories: Continue reading
Welcome, Georgia Beer Co.!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PDF)
Georgia Beer Company Sponsors Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest
Hahira, Georgia, April 22, 2019 — The first brewery in the Suwannee River Basin is the top-level sponsor of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. When the finalists compete for the judges and music lovers at The Salty Snapper on August 24, 2019, at the top of the sponsor banner will be Georgia Beer Company. This maker of brews, such as Cypress Knee – Single Hop Mosaic, understands clean water is essential to every beer. So Georgia Beer Company, as the Aria level sponsor, supports Suwannee Riverkeeper for fishable, swimmable, drinkable water.
![[Sponsor package]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-24--suwannee-riverkeeper-songwriting-contest/sponsor.jpg)
Photo: Sara the bartender;
Left to right: Bartender, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman receiving sponsor merchandise and check from Jack “J. Ryce Martin” and Chris Jones, founders of Georgia Beer Co.
“When I was a reporter in Madison, Florida, I wrote about Valdosta sewage frequently,” said Georgia Beer Co. co-founder Chris Jones. “Unfortunately, that is still a story. We support Suwannee Riverkeeper to help stop that problem, and to clean up other things getting into our rivers.”
“I’m thrilled for this support of our water quality testing program by Georgia Beer Company,” said WWALS lead tester Sara Jay. “We can buy more testing materials and Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PDF)
Submissions open for Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest
Hahira, Georgia, April 1, 2019 — No fooling but fun: today songwriters can start submitting new songs about the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, or Little Rivers, or other lakes, swamps, springs, or sinks in the Suwannee River Basin. New this year is a separate winner category for finalists younger than eighteen, in the Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Well-known radio personality Chris Beckham will be the Master of Ceremonies inside in air conditioning Saturday afternoon, August 24, 2019, at The Salty Snapper in Valdosta, Georgia. Three judges will select winners as finalists play. Snacks are included, plus a silent auction and kayak raffle. Come have some family musical fun supporting your local nonprofit WWALS Watershed Coalition and Suwannee Riverkeeper.
Photo: Bret Wagenhorst, of Emmett Carlisle playing at the 2018 Contest
Last year’s winner, Laura D’Alisera has driven from Jacksonville for every contest organizing committee meeting this year, and will sing this year while the judges are judging. She says, “To encourage working songwriters, this year we will Continue reading
A new festival to WWALS, and one of the smaller ones, but very friendly. The Mayor of White Springs came by to welcome us and then to invite us back, as did one of the city council members, at Wild Azalea Festival. Oh, and the musicians were astonishingly good. We invited them all to the Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, August 24 in Valdosta; submissions open April 1, 2019.
Note the Songwriting Contest flyers. Each one is backed by a flyer for the BIG Little River Paddle Race.
It was a fine time with 30,000 friends at Azalea Festival in Valdosta, Georgia.
See also Onemile Branch Cleanup, Drexel Park, during Azalea Festival 2019-03-10.
Join Suwannee Riverkeeper for music on the Suwannee River, and help us talk about paddling on our rives and advocacy. Yes, icluding wastewater and pipelines, as well as phosphate mines. Plus kayak raffle and froggy toss game! All at Suwannee Spring Reunion.
When:
Thursday March 21 through Sunday March 24, 2019
Where:
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
3076 95th Dr, Live Oak, Florida 32060
What: Suwannee Spring Reunion, featuring Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Steep Canyon Rangers, Billy Strings, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Chatham County Line, Jim lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp Band, The Grass Is Dead, Jon Stickley Trio, Town Mountain, Joe Craven & Hattie Craven, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Daddy, The Mammals, Pigeon Kings, Roy Book Binder, Nikki Talley, Nora Jane Struthers, Ralph Roddenbery, TKO featuring Duke Bardwell, Cicada Rhythm, Bolkun Brothers, Quartermeen, Sloppy Joe Habanero, Habanero Honeys, and The Adventures of Annabelle Lyn.
If you want to help at the WWALS booth, send email to wwalswatershed@gmail.com or call 850-290-2350.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
![[Three]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-24--suwannee-riverkeeper-songwriting-contest/judges.jpg)
![[Below the bridge (BW)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/gretchen/2019-04-27--wwals-blrpr/58629961_10220164493761717_3422854459762409472_n.jpg)