TELLICO VILLAGE — On Monday, May 12, the Tellico Boaters Assistance Response Team (T-Bart) hosted its annual Bratfest at The Yacht Club at Tellico Village.

This event drew plenty of guests as they took in the food and beverages that had been cooked up (and poured) by the members of T-Bart that live along Tellico Lake.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR


Along with the food, drinks, sponsorships and raffles, there was something different about this Bratfest than the ones in years past. …

T-Bart is officially 25 years old as of this year, and that was put on display with new shirts and new logos for the organization’s crew.

The people of Tellico Village showed up in droves for this special event and T-Bart’s public relations manager, Jeff Rauch, could not have been happier about it.

“It sells out every year we’ve had it,” Rauch said. “It’s a fantastic show of support from the community.

“We [T-Bart] could not do what we do without this kind of support.”

Rauch commented on the significance of this year’s event, as well.

THREE NEW BOATS“It’s our once-a-year fundraiser, but it’s special because it’s our 25th anniversary — and we are showcasing our three new boats.”

These three new boats are new additions to the T-Bart fleet for when they perform their missions to help people on Tellico Lake.

One of these Carolina Skiffs was displayed elegantly out front once people walked into The Yacht Club at Tellico Village.

During the early days of the organization’s foundation, T-Bart members used their own boats at times to perform their duties. … These new boats show just how much the company has grown in its 25 years of existence.

ORIENTATION OPPORTUNITIES

As a reminder, T-Bart hosts orientation sessions on lake and boater safety. And Rauch shared with The Connection where and when members of the Tellico Village community can or did attend these 2025 sessions.

“We have four Tellico Lake orientation sessions,” Rauch said. “They are free to the public … we’ll have one at the upper floor of The Yacht Club, then we go to Kahite and do the same thing there … then we’ll go to Rarity Bay and we’ll go back and do one again at The Yacht Club.”

T-Bart is hosting two more orientations this year. On Saturday, May 24, they will be at The Yacht Club at Tellico Village from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Then on Saturday, July 12, they will be in Rarity Bay from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

NOW BACK TO THOSE BRATS …

The people and sponsors took in the brats and beverages in anticipation of the busy times the lake will see during the upcoming summer months.

Rauch, once again, spoke on T-Bart’s behalf regarding how grateful he and the squad are to everyone who showed up.

“We really want to thank the people who get us here financially … without them, we would not be able to function.

“What we do is very ‘doable,’ but you have to have (dollars) coming in to sustain it.”