Commodore John Gentry
Commodore Gentry says, “The planning for the next year starts in your head right away, before the current Water Festival is actually over. Then the Coordinators and I get together and start strategizing and planning it all out for the year. “The Coordinators each have separate areas of responsibility and each Coordinator has many years of volunteering and team work behind them.
This year’s Coordinators are: Dan Thompson, Program Coordinator and Bonnie Thompson, Dan’s wife, is the Administration Coordinator. Sports Coordinator is Clark Robinson, Parks Coordinator is Brandy Gray. Water & Air Coordinator is Tank Morris, Productions Coordinator is Alan Langford.
Another husband and wife team is Sales & Admissions Coordinator Chris Canaday and wife Stacey Canaday who is Marketing/PR Coordinator. Sponsors Coordinator is Bill Damude and Treasurer is Nicky Fowlkes. Along with the Directors and all the other volunteers that make up the staff, over 400 in all, the team really pulls together to make Beaufort Water Festival the area’s signature event.
Beaufortonian
Commodore Gentry’s roots run deep in the Beaufort community. “I grew up in Beaufort and lived here until I went in the Army. After the Army I returned to Beaufort in 1981 to coach and teach at Beaufort High School,” he says. “After 31 rewarding years as a teacher and coach in the Beaufort school system I will be retiring this June.” Being an educator actually lead to Commodore Gentry’s involvement in the Beaufort Water Festival in the first place. He says, “In 1981, when I was teaching and coaching, I was making very little money but I had the summers off. One of my friends told me that the water festival needed people to help out during the day and I could get tickets for my family, and that’s how we were able to go to the events.”
He continues, “I started working with the Water Festival in 1981 and I volunteered until 1987. In 1987, I went to work for the state department and when that was finished in 1993 I started volunteering with the water festival again as a helper. “He continues, “From 1987 through 1993, my job prevented me from volunteering, and I missed it. Then Richard Norris had me help him and I got back into it then. He offered me the position of Director of Sports and I was very content doing that. Then I was asked to be a coordinator. I was a Director for three years, a Coordinator for eight years and now Commodore. So that’s nineteen years straight.
“ Gentry’s family has deep roots with the Festival as well. “My father was one of the original planners of Children’s Day, both of our daughters Megan and Erin were Pirettes and our son Kyle was a Director. My wife Jan has been by my side helping me every step of the way.” First Lady Jan Gentry has also been part of the Beaufort school system for many years, as she has been at Mossy Oaks Elementary for 26 years.
Something for Everyone
The Beaufort Water Festival will be held downtown at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park from July 13 -22 but many of the sporting events are held in June. The festival truly offers something for everyone, from sporting events diverse as softball, golf, kayaking and bowling, to the concert in the park with James Otto, to Children’s Day! Check the website http:// bftwaterfestival.com for further information, including a full schedule of events, ticket sales and event registration.
BL: Why have you devoted so much of your time and energy into the festival?
JG: “It is the volunteering, the people, a team, part of a team that is diverse. It is fun!”
BL: What was your favorite job?
JG: “Water & Air Coordinator. I was lucky enough to do it twice. The first year we brought The Sprit of South Carolina in from Charleston, it was beautiful! The water and air components are part of the Water Festival that have always been there and we still have remnants of those early years. Our events now include the fly overs, the Coast Guard cutters, the ski show and the shrimp boats. That is the heart of the water festival. We have been called a ‘heritage festival’ because that is what we are all about, starting from a small group of men and women who put the first ones together to where we are now.”
This year’s water and air events include a Family Fishing Tournament, Raft Race, the Children’s Toad Fishing Tournament, Coast Guard Cutter Tours, Shrimp Boat Tours, Gatorland Ski Show, a Sailing Regatta, Boat Bingo and the Air Show.
BL: What is new this year?
JG: “On Sunday, we will be bringing back the Nonprofit Expo, we’ll have Chris Jones providing live entertainment for the public, and of course the Blessing of the Fleet, and ending the day with a flyover. A perfect ending to the week!”
BL: Is there anything you would like our readers to know?
JG: “The one thing I want to say is thank you to the volunteers and the sponsors for giving their time and giving back to the community. The volunteers do everything, including manning the ticket booths and the concession stands and we donate back to those organizations. We could not do it without them. And our sponsors who are hanging in there with us, especially the Beaufortonians, deserve a big thank you for giving our community an event to be proud of that everyone enjoys. And we will not be increasing our ticket prices in honor of our families in the community and long time Water Festival supporters.”
