Anyone registering online for the 2013 Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend before February 18th, 2013 will be automatically entered to win a stay at the Treasure Cay Beach, Marina, and Golf Resort, a round-trip ticket to Abaco, or a case of Sands beer.
“This is our second year for the event, and the support from the community has been wonderful. We have a lot of prizes to give out and this year we have started early on promotion. To date we are far ahead of where we were last year in terms of registrations numbers, and we still have about 7 weeks left till the event,” said Lee McCoy, managing director. “We have been advertising locally and abroad and the response has been positive, with registrations already in from Abaco, Nassau, Freeport, Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, Virginia and California to name a few. So far it looks like the women’s sprint triathlon will be a hotly contested event, and I’m excited to see the level of competition and camaraderie that will take place throughout the weekend.”
The 2nd annual event, which takes place March 22-24th in Treasure Cay, Abaco, includes a 1-mile open water swim, Sprint and Olympic triathlons (in both individual and relay events), a kids’ 1-mile run and a 5k/10k fun run/walk. The scenic destination of Treasure Cay, Abaco, encourages both tourists and locals alike to attend. The courses are flat, the beaches and waters are gorgeous, and the roads are smooth, making for an ideal location for the races.
Everyone who registers online before February 18th, 2013, will be entered into a drawing to win one of three prizes. The first drawing is for a complimentary night at the Treasure Cay Resort, the second is for a round-trip ticket to Abaco, and the third is a case of Sands Beer. Registration details can be found on the event website, www.GAFFW.com The winners will be announced via email and the newsletter, on the website, and on the Facebook page by February 20th.
In addition to the online registration drawing, many additional prizes are available. Prizes may be won through placing in the events or age-groups, through a raffle at the event, or through random drawings during the event. Carlo Milano is sponsoring the triathlons and is offering great awards and prizes to those entered in Saturday’s triathlons, and Cycle’s Unlimited (Nassau) will offer giveaways and prizes throughout the event. Cycles Unlimted and Jamis are also providing a Citizen street bicycle which will be raffled off for the beneficiaries. Also providing prizes for the weekend are Treasure Sands (Treasure Cay), Firefly Resort (Hope Town), Abaco Eco (Hope Town) and Dolphin Encounters (Nassau) to name a few.
Proceeds from the event will go to benefit two local charitable organizations. The Rotary Club of Abaco works with various organizations and charities and is working on their 2013 mandate, Peace through Service. Friends of the Environment works to protect and preserve Abaco’s environment for future generations.
The events during the Great Abaco Family Fitness Weekend are open to all persons, regardless of age or fitness. The event is designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle that includes a fitness regime. In 2012, participants as young as 5 to as old as 75 competed. The triathlons are open to both individuals and relay’s, meaning a team can have three persons with each person doing a leg of the event; swim, bike or run.
For those traveling from Nassau, Bahamas Ferries is offering a round-trip ferry from Nassau to Sandypoint leaving on Friday mid-day and returning Sunday evening. Persons traveling with family and bikes may find this convenient, as vehicles, passengers and equipment are allowed on board. This is a non-scheduled ferry, meaning those wanting to partake should confirm with Bahamas Ferries as soon as possible. The ferry trip is open for all to take, regardless of entry into the event.
The organizers and main sponsors (the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Damianos/Sotheby’s International Realty, BTC, Treasure Cay Resort, and Carlo Milano) look forward to a great weekend in 2013 and in years to come. For more information please visit the event website www.GAFFW.com or find us on Facebook.
By Lee McCoy
