Between debris in the water from a storm the weekend prior to another storm on the day of the actual event, the 2024 Kuttawa Cannonball Run in Kentucky was tough on its organizers and participants. A slew of registrants for the two-day happening didn’t even put their boats in the water for the short Friday lunch run to Prizer Point Marina. Thanks to driving rain sustained winds of 20-plus mph, that wasn’t even an option the following morning for the longer trek to the Breakers Marina in Tennessee.
Despite that it was the first cancellation in the event’s then-eight-year history, there were rumblings, mostly from would-be participants, that the Kuttawa happening would have a difficult time coming back. A few dour folks even saw it as the “beginning of the end” for the event, which raises money for programs provided by the Lyon County Sherriff Department.
Worth noting: Despite last year’s cancellation, the Kuttawa Cannonball Run raised for than $70,000 its charities.
So how is registration going now for the May 30-31 affair?
“We’re at 50 boats right now,” said Jeff Hoefling, who co-organizes the event with his longtime friend Terry Martin. “That’s the same as where we were last year at this time.”
That’s excellent news for an event that makes a tremendous impact in its local community and this year has been embraced by Kuttawa Tourism Commission. As part of its sponsorship package, the tourism bureau is hosting a Saturday night concert at Kuttawa Amphitheater approximately four blocks from Kuttawa Harbor following the Saturday night charity auction.
Both sponsor and general registration will remain open through March.
