The fifth annual BIG Little River Paddle Race will be held Saturday, April 29. Registration is 8-9 a.m. at Red Roberts Landing.

ADEL, Ga. — The Friends of Reed Bingham State Park and WWALS Watershed Coalition invite the public to come paddle a canoe or kayak in the fifth annual BIG Little River Paddle Race on Saturday, April 29. This year the lunch included afterwards will be grilled at the park, and there will be a silent auction.

This family friendly event takes participants three miles down a scenic section of the winding Little River from Red Roberts Landing at the north end of the park to the park boat ramp on the Colquitt side of the lake. Although called a race, many paddlers participate at a leisure pace and just enjoy the lovely south Georgia scenery of cypress, tupelo, palmettos, pine trees and live oaks and the glimpses of wildlife such as egrets, coots, wood ducks, herons, buzzards, and an occasional bald eagle, gar, or alligator.

The event registration and start is at Red Roberts Landing, a boat ramp at Rountree Bridge.

Registration is from 8-9 a.m. with a mass start planned shortly thereafter. Participants will unload their boats at the start, drive their vehicles to the finish point in the park and then catch a shuttle back to the start.

The fee to register is $30 per boat online, by post, and on event day. There is an additional $5 per vehicle park entrance fee. Canoes and kayaks may be rented from the park while supplies last for a separate fee, and reservations are required. Event registration is available on-line at www.wwals.net and at the office at Reed Bingham State Park.

There is a $50 prize to the first boat to cross the finish line and awards for the top finishers in various categories, including: men’s two person canoe, women’s two person canoe, mixed two person canoe, men’s tandem kayak, women’s tandem kayak, mixed tandem kayak, men’s solo kayak, women’s solo kayak, men’s solo canoe, and women’s solo canoe.

The awards will be given out at about 11:30 a.m. A free lunch is provided to participants after the awards ceremony.

Every year the event attracts lots of local entries, but has also had paddlers from as away as New York and Pennsylvania in the U.S. and even a couple from Germany. Truly a family event, past races have seen fathers paddle with sons, husbands with wives, mothers with daughters, grandparents with grandkids and pairs of friends. An average paddler takes about 1.5-2 hours to paddle the course; the winner usually finishes in under an hour.

All paddlers must have a life jacket and know how to swim. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of Reed Bingham and WWALS Watershed Coalition.

Friends of Reed Bingham is an all volunteer organization that helps to fund projects in the park, such as the island campsite and the miniature golf course. WWALS Watershed Coalition is the Waterkeeper Alliance Member for the Little River, as Suwannee Riverkeeper. WWALS is a 501(c)(3) organization which advocates for watershed conservation of the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Suwanee River watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen advocacy.

For more information about the paddle race go to www.wwals.net or call 229 392-5513.