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Ramblin' _ _ A comes to < By Karen Addy Oamtcock Staff Wrh?r What could be better than floating down the river on a hot September day surrounded by cold beer, good friends and bluegrass music? Saturday, Sept. 8 promises to De mat kind of day, when the Ramblin' Raft Race makes its debut in Columbia. The Congaree River will be the setting for the event, heralded as "The Greatest Adventure Since the Ark." The race, which attracted over half a million participants and spectators in Atlanta this year, is sponsored by the American Rafting Association and WZLD, a local FM radio station. rnu? ??* 11 ~ * x iic tatc suti u? ix a.m. iicai Saturday, when almost every kind of inflatable vessel imaginable will enter the water and embark on a three mile, timed journey down the river. How quickly the contestants reach their destination will be determined by such navigational skills as rnwinff nnlincr nnririlinff ?? " -?o? r" o? o or other original methods of moving ^the boat ^^^S*P^x5^95 ^-;T'^ m&IHk ^ 1 Mil I ! Raft Race Columbia THE STARTING POINT will be the Senate launch ramp, a block from the Gervais St. bridge. Boats will cross the finish line at the Congaree Landing on Old State Road in Cayce. Prizes will be awarded to sailors with the best overall time in their division. Entertainment will be provided by the "Carolina Rebels Bluegrass Band at the finishing point. While alcoholic beverages will not be sold, spectators and participants may bring their own drinks. The Ramblin' Haft Race originated 10 years ago on the Chatahoochee River in Atlanta, when a Georgia Southern fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, Ichallenged other campus 'organizations and a local disc jockey to a raft race. Larry Patrick, president and executive director of the American Rafting Association was the fraternity member who issued the challenge. .The disc jockey, Mike Dineen is now the operations manager at WZLD. "I came out ahead of the }ck!9W .v^ * y- ' V .< ........ . ,.v.-.v * : . v.-. . '? yv '. 4'*: ;> II!. !'5 NO, PD LLER I 1567 NEXT fraternity. Although it started out as a very competitive thing, by the end of the race everyone was having so much fun that nobody cared who won or lost," Dineen said. "The first year (of the raft race) we had only 50 rafts and a few hundred spectators. The second year it grew to 250 entries and several thousand who watched. Tkn ti.: 1 ?? me vimu year, over /au rails entered, and spectators numbered 150,000," according to Dineen. THE RACE IS now one of the year's highlights in Atlanta and other major cities around the country. It has received national attpntinn thrnnoh pynnciitw nn Mnp ? w?-- ? V VII A^W/ News, CBS News, "Real People" i television show and Time magazine. bill Hunt, also of WZLD, explained that the raft race was a very organized project, with many local businesses and organizations participating. um,-? u..nm.. M ~ iiic niui&ijr r laiicimau, a restaurant on the bank of the Congaree River will have box lunches available for sale. Organizations represented inelude: the Coast Guard, the 1 PAI 2 OZ. mm mt cans V 8 12 oz. m AC cans | 16 oz. 4WI2M cans j4m 12 oz DOO~ALuS; WINE & LIQUOR Richland County Medivac, Explorer Scouts, the Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Red Cross. Measures will be taken to insure the safety of participants. In all the previous years, not one fatality has occurred," Hunt said. Hunt said the local town police forces of Cayce, West Columbia and Columbia, as well as Richland and Lexington county police would be present. "With large crowds you have to have some kind of law enforcement," he said. "If the water level is not high enough for a smooth ride, South Carolina Electric and Gas Co. has offered to open the Lake Murray Dam temporarily to bring the level up sufficiently. Local politicians and dignitaries have been invited including Gov. Dick Riley, Sen. Strom Thurmond J irnn n- -i a v duu uov/ rrcstueni j nines Holderman. Also invited was President Carter, although he has not indicated whether he will attend. Medallions and trophies will be awarded. People or organizations interested in entering the race can obtain entry rules and forms from 7-Eleven stores. The stores are _ providing brochures for donations RTTSI '9 019 V ^ mm mm mm $ iJvEI%n SCHU ? BUSCJ [ OLOJM V AVE. 799 BhHMHHHBSB of 25 cents which will go to Muscular Dystrophy. An entry fee of $1 or $10 is required, depending on the type of raft used. This and other information is outlined in the pamphlet. The ARA is a non-profit organization, and the entry fee covers the cost of holding the event. Dineen has a personal interest in the RiicrMS of thp pvpnt Kwaiisp of his involvement m its beginnings. "I GUESS YOU could say it's a reunion of adversaries. I'd like to see the Ramblin' Raft Race become an annual event in Columbia. It's basically a family and good-friend affair more than a competitive one, and so everyone always has a great time. I'd like to see it built into something Columbians and students can look forward to and participate in." Because the first Carolina football game is being played away, many students will be on campus the day of the Ramblin' Raft Race. Dormitories, fraternities and other campus organizations and individuals are invited to Darticioate in the race After all, what could possibly be finer than floating down the river on a September afternoon? \ r % i QUARTERS | 359S j I *7 | TZ3795| I Rf 33"! I ift 37" | I 11135" I .CHB4 m