The Rotary eClub of the Carolinas floated its first fundraiser down the Catawba River on Saturday, Aug. 29, raising $500 for the Catawba Riverkeeper.
The inaugural Inner Tube Regatta sent participants drifting between Tega Cay and Rock Hill under clear skies, the Tega Cay Sun reported.
Club President Dann Dunn credited the event to a new member with a familiar tradition back home. "This project was the brainchild of our newest member and fundraising chair, Tom Hyslip, who was inspired by a similar event in his hometown in Western New York," Dunn said.
Hyslip lives in Tega Cay. Dunn also thanked volunteers Candace Wyman, Franca Meloncelli and Lance and Lenna Young for helping organize the regatta.
The $500 donation goes to the Catawba Riverkeeper, the only nonprofit on-the-water advocate for the 8,900 miles of waterways in the Catawba-Wateree River Basin. The organization works to preserve, protect and restore the basin's waters through education, advocacy and engagement, according to the Catawba Riverkeeper.
The basin spans 26 counties across North and South Carolina. It provides drinking water for more than 2 million people and generates electricity for over 3 million, making it a resource Tega Cay and Lake Wylie residents rely on daily.
The Rotary eClub said it plans a second, larger regatta in early summer 2027. No date or registration details have been announced.
