MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Morgantown Area families are encouraged to be a part of the 6th Annual Cheat Lake Regatta.
The Rotary Club of Cheat Lake is ready to host their popular summer event on Sunday, August 20th, at the Dockside Grille, where they will offer an afternoon of live music, food and drinks, and activities around the lake. As part of what is being billed as the biggest party of the summer, Rotary Club of Cheat Lake President Jamie Summerlin encourages residents to check out opportunities to explore the lake with opportunities to win cash prizes.
“Our Gatta Regatta party, which happens at Dockside, we got The Edge Band playing live, it’s a dine and donate,” said Rotary Club of Cheat Lake President Jamie Summerlin. “So Dockside is gracious enough to donate a portion of the proceeds back to the rotary club that evening,” he said.
The Cheat Lake Boat Poker Run will kick off Regatta festivities at noon, where boaters will stop at various docks around the lake for a chance at a $1,000 cash prize. Registration is $25 per boat and will be open up to the day of the Regatta. The unique take on the traditional motorcycle poker run will go until 4 p.m., with a cash prize of $300 or a gas tank fill-up offered for the participant with the worst hand. The winners of the prizes will be presented at the Gatta Regatta Party at Dockside Grille.
“We have five different poker run stops along the lake, we’ve got a map within our trifold, it has the poker run sheets and everything in it and there’s a $1,000 best hand prize,” said Summerlin on the boat poker run.
Boat tours around Cheat Lake will also be offered throughout the afternoon, with the first starting at 12:30 p.m. Area boaters will use their pontoon boats to show off the homes and landmarks that surround the 1,730-acre Cheat Lake. Tours will take place hourly, and Summerlin encourages any attendees to register ahead of time due to their popularity and lack of spaces.
“We’ve got some rotarians that have boats out on the lake, and at 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30, we’ll be taking individuals out,” said Summerlin. “We’ve got four boats lined up that can handle up to 14 people,” he said.
The Gatta Regatta festivities will begin at the Dockside Grille at 4:30 p.m., where food and drinks will be served until 7 p.m. The winner of the boat poker run prizes will be announced along with other drawings and giveaways that will take place throughout the afternoon. All proceeds will benefit the Rotary Club of Cheat Lake and their various efforts around the Morgantown Area.
“Ultimately, it helps Cheat Lake Rotary give back to our community and really support a lot of organizations that are making a difference,” said Summerlin. “That’s really our mission: service above self, serving our community, and helping support those who are really making a difference,” he said.
More information on the Cheat Lake Regatta can be found at cheatlakeregatta.net.