By Nancy Mellon
Balboa Yacht Club and the Glass Slipper Guild this weekend will be hosting the 12th annual CHOC Regatta at the Balboa Yacht Club, benefiting Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Registration for the one-design boats 20 feet and shorter will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at BYC with a $25 entry fee. The race immediately follows. After the boats return to BYC, the awards for first, second and third place for Saturday will be presented. A special recognition will be given to most generous donor for that day.
Registration for boats longer than 20 feet will be at 10:30 on Sunday, Nov. 6,at BYC with a $50 entry fee, with the race immediately following. The celebration on Sunday will be from approximately 3:30 to 6 p.m. The awards ceremony for CHOC first, second and third place winners of each race, as well as the winner of the CHOC Cup, will also take place.
Balboa Yacht Club has been sponsoring this event for 12 years to raise money for and to increase community awareness of the health care services available at the only hospital facility in Orange County that is exclusively for children. The funds raised during the Regatta will help ensure that services are available to children of all socio-economic backgrounds. No child is ever turned away at CHOC because of lack of insurance or other means to pay for treatment.
Last year the event raised more than $18,000, which helped to complete a $1 million endowment to the Neuroscience Institute at CHOC Children’s. The money is going to be used in perpetuity to fund research on curing brain tumors, advancing stem cells in the treatment of terminal disease, and funding research to discover novel treatments of hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy.
An additional incentive for those competing to raise the most money for CHOC is the “Sail-A-Thon,” in which entrants obtain sponsorships for both their boats and their crews.
The raffle promises goodies for all: Lakers fans, Ducks fans, golfers, Duffy enthusiasts. There is no limit on the number of tickets one may purchase. The winners will be chosen on Sunday afternoon, but it’s not mandatory that they be present to win. All the proceeds from the raffle will go directly to CHOC Children’s.
For more information, visit www.balboayachtclub.com or call 949-673-3515.
