Hobie Day 2024
Hobie Day 2024
It was “scorch the earth” hot as the sun reflected off the caliche shores, but Bigs and Littles stayed cool as they played in the lake and floated on sailboats at Big Brothers Big Sisters’ annual Hobie Day. Over 70 matches, along with some family members, turned out to enjoy the water and a fun day of riding on catamarans on Lake Travis courtesy of AustinCats, a group of sailing enthusiasts who have supported the agency for many years.
“We had an incredible turnout at this year’s Hobie Day!” said Lillian Garibay, Match Support Manager. “Our matches had a blast, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the volunteers who made it all possible. A special thank you to the AustinCats Club for partnering with us once again to host this amazing event. It’s always a joy to see our community come together and create such memorable experiences.”
Matches enjoyed snacks and food provided by a grant from HEB while awaiting their turn on the sailboats. There was plenty of water to go around as it was a constant effort to stay hydrated in the heat.
Some matches brought snorkel gear for an underwater adventure. A few also brought some “water soakers” and had fun spraying each other while floating in the water.
Big Sister Chloe and Little Sister Royal were excited to be a part of the event as they stood in the queue waiting to get life jackets and boat instructions. “It’s our first Hobie Day, we just got here, and it’s hot,” laughed Chloe. “But we’re excited to get in the water and cool off. I think once we’re on the boat they’re going to kind of teach us to sail, too, which is exciting. I love anything that’s water related.”
Royal, who her Big Sister said is an excellent swimmer, was excited for the experience. She said, “I’ve been on a boat before. I’m most looking forward to the swimming part.”
Another pair waiting their turn on the sailboats was Donavan and his Big Brother Stan. Both were looking forward to the experience, but in this case, it was the Big who said he’d never been on a sailboat before. “I’ve been on a lot of motorboats, but this is my first time on a catamaran,” said Stan.
Donavan had ridden on one before and was looking forward to the activity many of the matches enjoyed, hanging out over the edge of the boat as it sailed along, creating the sensation of skimming across the water. Of course, each participant was safely harnessed to the boat for the experience.
A match who’d just finished their excursion on one of the catamarans was Big Sister Ashley and Little Sister Eryanna. “It’s been great,” said Ashley. “We’re having a blast out here. We just got off the water and had a good time. Eryanna loves the water, so I’m glad I brought her. She’s swimming now. We’re glad Big Brothers Big Sisters is having this event for everybody. We’re just glad to be here.”
Hobie Day is also one of the few BBBS events where Bigs and Littles get to spend time with the Little’s family members as well. All ages made their way down the rocky shore to enjoy the lake.
Such a fun time would not be possible without a lot of volunteers. The AustinCats supplied catamarans to provide the rides throughout the afternoon as they’ve done annually for BBBS for over 40 years. They also spent time preparing for and hosting the event. In addition to the boat crews, the Young Men’s Service League helped with tasks like equipping attendees with life jackets, assisting people as they got onto the boats and cleaning up after the event.
Special thanks to the personnel at Bob Wentz Park for being so accommodating, to our RTBM volunteers, Sarah and Julio who helped get our matches situated down by the shore. To Joseph, who has joined us regularly on Hobie Day, for working an all-day shift. Shoutout to Lisa from HEB who catered our event for a second year in a row! And a big thanks to Kedrick Jeffries, BBBS’ CEO, and all of the BBBS staff who made this event possible.
Many diverse groups came together to provide our matches with a truly unique experience!
