The Gay Family

Festival Family Ties

story by MEGAN THIBAULT MORRIS                    photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY

Being a volunteer for the Beaufort Water Festival takes dedication and hard work. Many people who have been, and currently are part of the Water Festival family of volunteers, know that it is a great way to give back to the community and form meaningful relationships. Water Festival volunteers come from all walks of life — from locals to newly stationed, technicians to business leaders, St. Helena Island to Burton, and everything in between.

Some have summers off in professions like teaching, many take vacation time from work, and some even sacrifice their weekly paychecks to make it all possible. There is almost no amount of gratitude that can be given to offset the work they freely put in, except for one thing, the dynamic feeling of being together to bring joy to the community. It is a family.

To know the crew is to know lots of very different people who look out for each other and have many wonderful moments together. To be part of the crew is indeed very special. As much as the team recognizes itself as one big, crazy family, there are many actual family ties to the Water Festival. Some volunteers had parents and grandparents before them serve as a volunteer, even become Commodore. Some are literally family members, like the Gays and Aimars.

A true rockstar team, the Gays and Aimars have been part of the Water Festival for decades. The Gays are three siblings who work hard every year to do their part. Walter Gay Jr. is the oldest, Samantha Gay is the middle sibling, and Katie Gay is the little sister. They grew up on St. Helena, graduated from Beaufort Academy, and have a ton of memories of growing up in Beaufort and enjoying the Water Festival. From Regattas and Teen Dances to Poker Runs and helping pick up trash, this family is building on those memories and now spends much of their time working together with the rest of the Water Festival family.

Samantha was the first to become an official volunteer, working in Parks, Sports, and whatever other way she could learn the ropes. Last year, she was the Beverage Director. Of course, a very important role, and she loved working with all the civic groups that help serve the public as a way to fundraise for their own organizations. This year, she is serving as the Safety Director, which fits with her role as a Registered Nurse. Because she has devoted — and loved — a decade of volunteering, her siblings got in the mix too.

Walter served his country proudly upon graduating from Clemson, and after the National Guard turned to Army and then to the Reserves, he now makes his schedule around the Water Festival. He has helped tremendously with many of the logistics, which he specializes in for the Army. Just imagine the amount of ice that needs to be loaded on a daily basis in the middle of July!

Their sister Katie recently graduated from Clemson too, so now she is a volunteer alongside her siblings. She is always willing to lend a helping hand and work hard with a smile on her face. This is no surprise as she normally works at Port Royal Veterinary, taking care of sweet pets. These three siblings are quite the trio, and yet, it gets better!

Through the Water Festival, Samantha met Adam Aimar, who has volunteered for two decades, putting his electrical skills to much-needed use. And now they have the cutest, little “helper” at the Festival, Ryker. He keeps everyone smiling, and because it is a family, there is always someone to make sure he is taken care of and having fun.

Adam’s children, Mason and Chloe, love the Water Festival too, and this year Chloe is a Water Festival Pirette. The Pirettes have a long-standing tradition of representing the Commodores and supporting the crowds as they attend each event. They are comprised of delightful, young ladies who interview for the position each year and carry the honor proudly.

It may be hard to keep track of the ins and outs of this incredible family within a family, but that is nothing compared to Water Festival logistics! The Gays and the Aimars would not have it any other way. They appreciate this time to be together — a whole lot of time, by the way — to continue a great community tradition.

Let’s see how these siblings’ answers compare:
What’s your earliest memory of Water Festival?
Sam: I was about ten years old when I first participated in the Sailing Regatta. The first half went well, but then the wind died. It was a long trip from the sandbar back to the Yacht Club, but it was still fun!
Walter: I fondly remember our family loading up on the pontoon boat with our parents to ride around and play in the Poker Run, stopping by all the boat landings. I loved that we were all together. I also helped picked up trash during Festival mornings when I was in the Boy Scouts.
Katie: I remember helping my dad at the concession stand in the park during Teen Dance. I was not yet a teenager, and I loved watching their line dances while serving hot dogs!

What’s your favorite Water Festival event?
Sam: That’s a tough decision, but I have to say Motown Monday.
Walter: It’s a tie — Golf Tournament at Fripp and Motown Monday in the Park.
Katie: Concert in the Park on the first Saturday with the big band!

What were you most surprised to learn about the Water Festival as a volunteer?
Sam: The depth of the logistics planning — sometimes more than a year ahead. And when there is a good change made for a good reason, we are keeping all future Festivals in mind.
Walter: The amount of manpower, time, and planning that goes into the logistics of each event, and each night was eye-opening for me.
Katie: After over a week of putting on the Festival for the community, the volunteer crew spent all Saturday night in the park to start breaking down and cleaning up. It’s all done in a couple days, an amazing feat.

Why do you volunteer?
Sam: I really love the teamwork and the interactions with the crew. It is so rewarding to work together to get everything set up and ready, and then see all the families come in and have a great time.
Walter: I love being part of the Water Festival family and making lifelong friends.
Katie: When it’s a peak time to keep everything running smoothly and stocked, I stop for a second and look around at all the people having fun. It’s cool to know we have a part in creating this for the community.

How would you sum up what the Water Festival means in just a few words?
Sam: Friends that become Family
Walter: Camaraderie and Fun
Katie: What just happened? (It always goes by too fast!)

And last, but not least, Adam shared a fun memory of participating in the first open swim in the Beaufort River hosted by the Water Festival! And it should also be noted that Adam has generously helped Paul Howe with the ever-important duty of 5 a.m. trash pick-up more times than not during the Festival because he appreciates and cares for his hometown.

Wow, what a family. The Water Festival is so grateful for them all!