Brats, beer and beans returned to Tellico Village in support of an organization that helps those in need.
Tellico Boaters Assistance Response Team, or T-BART, held its annual Bratfest 3:30-7 p.m. May 8 at the Yacht Club. Those in attendance feasted on all-you-can-eat beer, baked beans, sauerkraut, American and German potato salad and, of course, bratwurst.
Tom Jumer, Bratfest coordinator, said the day was originally predicted to have rain and thunderstorms but Mother Nature helped out.
“Everyone seemingly had a good time,” Jumer said.
T-BART is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit made up of volunteers around Tellico Lake, including Loudon and Monroe counties. The organization works to provide free non-medical and non-emergency assistance to boaters in distress. The group also provides lake orientation and boating safety training, life jacket loaner stations and a night and special services team.
Funding mainly comes from member dues, donations and the Bratfest fundraiser. Operating expenses include boats and equipment for towing operations, insurance, fuel and other equipment needed to operate on the lake.
Tickets for this year’s fundraiser were a $15 donation. The event sold out with more than 1,000 tickets purchased and 1,500 brats served.
Jumer said almost 100 volunteers, including some retired T-BART members, helped make this year’s gathering a success. The organization gets great support from the Village and surrounding areas, he said.
“The thing that we like most about it is everybody was smiling,” Jumer said. “Everybody was laughing, having fun, communicating with others. The neat thing is you get to know a lot of people in the community that you would normally not meet. … You wind up meeting them (and) it’s like a community club that comes together.”
Jumer said T-BART volunteers enjoy their role in the community and are glad residents value their efforts, which is reflected in the annual fundraiser.
“It gives us a good feeling overall,” he said. “It’s not just serving the brats. It’s serving the people. That’s one of the biggest things that we get out of this is that people support us monetarily and we support them anyway we can with safety on the water.”
Jeff Rauch, director of public relations, said most of the calls received by T-BART are for dead batteries or running out of gas, but the group does more than simply towing. During lake orientation training, instructors provide mile-by-mile information on hazards, boat docks, gas and restaurants.
Numerous new people move to the area and the training is essential for first-time boat owners, Rauch said, adding experienced boaters who are new to the lake equally benefit from the sessions.
T-BART’s life jacket loaner stations are quite popular and used often, Rauch said. Many area boaters have grandchildren who come to visit and proper-sized life jackets as children grow can become expensive. The loaner program is a great resource to keep people safe and make sure they have life jackets that fit, he said.
Rauch said the number of annual calls to which the organization responds vary but activity picks up after Memorial Day as more residents get on the water. And as more people move to the lake, he expects traffic to continue to increase.
The organization does not charge for towing, but many rescued boaters will make donations, he said.
While Yamaha Rightwaters is T-BART’s official engine sponsor, Bratfest featured numerous other individual and corporate donors that provided raffle items and funds.
Rauch said Bratfest is viewed as the unofficial event that kicks off the boating season on Tellico Lake. In addition to ticket sales, many residents showed up with donations to thank the organization for its impact.
“One of the things that makes Tellico Village great is the amount of volunteering that’s going on,” Rauch said. “There are over 200 clubs or groups. We’re a service organization, so we’re a little different from many of them, but it’s rewarding to see so many people willing to give up their time. ... It just feels great to see so many people come out and support us at this annual event to allow us to provide the types of services that we are putting out there all year long. Without this type of support, we wouldn’t be able to function the way we do. It’s just really great to see so many people coming out and supporting us.”
