GIVING BACK

story by ZANE VICKERY
photos by SUSAN DELOACH and ERIC SMITH

Since 1956, the Beaufort community has been graced by the exhibiting reach of the Beaufort Water Festival. Now in its sixty-fourth year, this time-honored tradition is gearing up for what is sure to be ten days of activities and entertainment in July that brilliantly highlight all that the community has to offer. However, what may not be as concrete in common knowledge, is familiarity with the dedicated and passionate team of volunteers, directors, and coordinators who devote a majority of the year to the preparation, organization, and execution of this beloved community event. Commodore Brian Patrick and his team of coordinators, in their diligence to the Festival’s integrity of excellence, have been working tirelessly throughout the course of the year to lay all the proper pavers and tiles that come together to form the mosaic of what is known as the Beaufort Water Festival.

In examination of all those involved with the function of the Festival, one encounters a singular title more than most: volunteer. Unfortunately, this can become a term of watered-down nature that is quickly read and discounted as being nothing of significance. Although, in the context of the Water Festival’s slogan of “For the Community, by the Community”, it is of utmost significance. Commodore Patrick and his volunteers are composed of a myriad of community members that range in trade, task, and obligation. From retail workers to small business owners and law enforcement officers to educators, the kaleidoscope of Water Festival volunteers paint a picture of a team who selflessly dedicate nine months out of the year for a community event all at the expense of their own time. No one is paid, nothing is incentivized, and no grandiose measure of recognition is offered. Some take time off of work in order to work the Water Festival! Each and every single member of the team has to make sacrifices in the areas of family, occupation, and schedule for the sake of a smoothly run community event. And yet, the heartbeat of the Festival remains vibrant and centered on joy. Perhaps, the reason for this is the one word that was repeated in every volunteer interview: family.

Nearly each and every coordinator found their beginning of service with the volunteer crew because of an invitation. For some, a friend or mentor was involved. A few were hometown products pulled by the nostalgic summers of memory. For others, a spirit of curiosity and allure to the Water Festival led to conversation of involvement. Collectively, a group asked to belong and serve by those who already led by example. Sponsor Coordinator Todd Stowe, who has volunteered for twenty-four years, was invited by Mike Rentz in 1995. Parks Coordinator Tony Serrato was invited by Marvin Morrison in 2004. Program Coordinator Erin “Tank” Morris was brought in by Dan Thompson in 2005. Story after story of a group dedicated to showcasing their community in this outlet by recruiting and inviting others into it as a living, functioning family. Many of this year’s upper echelon of organizers began their Festival servitude in unglorified volunteer roles, returning year after year to earn the title and responsibilities of directors and coordinators in the “from the ground up” model the Water Festival has adopted in its years. Rather uniquely, the Festival has also taken an organic life of its own by its model of rotating director and coordinator positions over the years as well. Many of the current coordinators have served in a number of areas of the Festival other than the one they are directly responsible for this year. Each coordinator has a number of directors and volunteers working under them in the same rotating capacity. But families are not solely focused on titles. They are also defined by their traditions and social function.

The sixty-four year legacy of the Water Festival carries a heavy obligation to those involved with its planning and execution. Every ounce of preparation is built on the shoulders and works of the volunteers and organizers that paved the way in the years before in bringing people to Beaufort to display the natural beauty of the city and all that its people have to offer. From the first beauty pageant to the last concert, that tradition comes with a standard of excellence and professionalism that the Water Festival organizers have had to adopt and adapt.

Planning begins in September as areas of oversight are assigned. Many coordinators describe it as the meticulous put-together of a complex puzzle. Contact with bands and music groups is established, contracts are written, and deposits are paid. Emails and telephone calls begin to make their flights in an attempt to generate financial support through sponsorship. The quality of the overall product has changed. The park has had to be remodeled to adapt for maximum capacity over the years. Setup standards have revamped and become more heavy duty. Ramps, stages, and fencing have seen major upgrades. Bringing in major bands such as Kansas has brought with it new sets of challenges. Sales and admissions teams have to be organized. All the while, the Festival has generated a culture of improvement and quality with enormous volunteer input. As one coordinator puts it You bring in new people so you get new ideas to get better.” After the Festival, the team will debrief to learn from that year’s happenings and plan in preparation for the next.

But why? Why are all of these measures taken? Why does a team of unpaid volunteers return year after year for an unglorified role? Many volunteers commented on the amount of fun, the sense of family, the commemorative t-shirt and all of the memories. However, the answer lies in the inspiration of any true family: love. It manifests in the physical work and expense of each volunteer’s strength, will, and effort for the sake of people’s experience, wellbeing, and enjoyment. It is a love to highlight the best of Beaufort with the best it has to offer. As Erin “Tank” Morris puts it, “It’s not about putting on a show as much as it is about a love for bringing everyone together.” A love for this region’s people, reflected in the multi-generational and multi-ethnic classes, regardless of socioeconomic status, that call this city home. The Water Festival is just as much for the born and bred Beaufortonian as it is for the transient armed services member or beach getaway seeker. It will continue to be organized in a way that remains hospitable and welcoming to all that make up our spectacular spectrum of a community. That very reason is something akin to the ebbs and flows of the salt marsh and an attribute further reflected in our Water Festival volunteers.

That Beaufort has a way of bringing precisely who it needs to, when it needs to.