The Tampa Bay area hasn't seen much rain this spring. But that hasn't stopped folks from organizing the summer's first hurricane party.
The World's Largest Hurricane Party, a charity fundraising festival featuring food, raffle prizes and music from the Johnny G. Lyon Band, will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday (5/13) at the outdoor waterfront park behind the A La Carte Pavilion, 4050 Dana Shores Drive in Tampa. A $20 donation gets you in the door.
The event is organized by Krewes Kare, a nonprofit group of volunteers from local parade krewes, and Angel Flight Southeast. All proceeds will go toward purchasing hurricane relief supplies. When a hurricane strikes, as Katrina did last year, krewes will purchase supplies like tents or chainsaws, and Angel Flight pilots will deliver the goods.
The event's name isn't just hyperbole. Organizers really are trying to set a Guinness world record for largest hurricane party. Technically speaking, that category doesn't exist, but organizers hope a crowd of 500 to 1,000 will be enough to earn a spot in the Guinness book.
"Why not a hurricane party? We're in Florida, right?" said Krewes Kare president Yvonne Painton. "We don't want to make light of a disaster, but sometimes you have to have fun."
For information, visit www.kreweskare.org.
