On 26 August 2017 Smiltynė Yacht Club (Smiltynės Str. 25, Klaipėda) hosted the End of the Summer Festival. Smiltynė Yacht Club took this opportunity to organize a regatta, which was slightly different from other events of this type held in Lithuania: it was a charity event organized in support of children’s foster homes.
“We decided to combine the regular sport part of the regatta with a social campaign, because there are many children in Klaipėda Region, who did not even know what “regatta”, not to mention that they have not even seen sailboats up-close”, Karolis Dobrovolskas, Director of Smiltynė Yacht Club said.
The participants in the regatta included nearly 50 yachtsmen and over 200 children from children’s foster homes, day care centres, socially disadvantaged families in Klaipėda District and Neringa Town. Children were given a chance to get know traditions fostered by yachtsmen, they learnt to tie knots and sailed to the Curonian Lagoon together with the crews.
Miglė Savickaitė Representative of INREAL, Organizer of the Event, said that that this type of festivals would definitely become a tradition at Smiltynė Yacht Club and shared her joy for finding many supporters and sponsors, who agreed to help with organization of this unforgettable festival.
Educational sessions for children were organized at Smiltynė Visitor Centre, they watched shows, which included performances with California sea lions and dolphins at the Sea Museum, followed by a drawing competition, trampolines and other entertainment at Smiltynė Yacht Club.
Sponsors of the Event: INREAL, Klaipėda Municipality, Curonian Spit National Park, Seaport Authority, Smiltynė Ferry, Sea Museum, “Makita”, “Gitana”, “Švyturys”, “Tele 2”, Northway, “Zeelandia”, “Eugesta”, “BidFood”, “Klaipedos pienas”, “Pamario takas”, Gintaras Vaičekauskas, crews of boats “Karolin”, “Baracuda”, and “Sagapo”. Information sponsors of the Event: Delfi and “Vakarų ekspresas”.
