It's great to hear that there are still people out there
trying to make a positive impact on the PWC world. Robert Wilkes recently sent PWI this press release outlining the Alabama Watercraft Society. Check it out
below, and do what you can to support him and others who are constantly trying
to keep our sport growing!!
-PWI
Alabama Watercraft Society
Hi, my name is Robert Wilkes founder and president of the
Alabama Watercraft
Society. The AWS was founded and started for a few main
reasons. One, most Alabama
racers, freestyle riders and rec-riders have not had much
support from the local or
national markets. Two, most riders have not been able to
team up with local enthusiast or
racers for support or help with financials. Three, no one
has been able to help with the
lack of full race lines at each event. And four, the level
of boating and PWC education in
this state is next to nothing. So I decided to try and make
a change. Not on a national
level but on a local level. My idea is to change the way
racing, competition, rec-riding,
freestyle and the overall perception of PWC’s is perceived
at a local level. Not only this
but to help conserve the PWC’s place on our waterways.
A few goals of the AWS, is to show the community that racers
do give back to the
community. Our efforts will be to accomplish conservation
acts at every ride or demo
that we create or attend. Another effort is to teach and
coach youth and adult new racers,
through a program that we will be implementing in the spring
of 2009. Also a very in
your face marketing campaign to help bring more racers to
the start lines for 2009 and to
recruit at a local level the education, morals, and support
that competitive racing brings.
We are also going to start teaming up with the Alabama
Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources for on the water training and education
seminars for safe boating and
PWC operation. It is our goal to show the community and the
nation that this can be
done. I believe that this starts at home and that’s why we
hope that this takes off so that
every state will try and copy us with the same type effort.
Another one of our goals for 2009 season is our Racer
Support Program. Each
racer that flies under the AWS banner will have any and all
support that comes when
teaming up. Like a race team however you as the owner and
rider of your boat make the
decisions that are right for you and your style of racing.
The racer support program is
designed in such a way that any racer in the state of
Alabama can be in total contact with
other racers in the state. If some racers are having
financial issues with being able to
make a race others can join them to split food travel and
lodging. AWS hopefully in the
near future might be able to also fully sponsor a rider or
riders for a season to also help
offset these costs. It’s also one of our goals to also be
able to procure sponsorships and or
donations through manufactures, aftermarket companies and
local and nation business’s
which in turn can be divided amongst the racers and riders
for support. We would like
our motto to be if you support AWS then you support all of
our riders. So when you do
support the AWS we in turn will use your contributions to
help our riders do what they
love to do and also to help get new riders onto the
waterways. AWS a nonprofit support
program being one of the first of its kind in the nation we
really hope that this concept
spreads like wild fire across the USA. Imagine almost every
state with a program like
this. Imagine what watercraft racing would be like. Also
imagine that the local and
national media would no longer be able to ignore us. Also
imagine the amount of
enthusiasm, attention, curiosity, and demand for more
products.
I would like to thank you in advance for reading what I have
had to say to you
today. It is our deepest and sincerest goal to put our sport
back on the map. We are
stronger together than we ever were apart. If you would like
to contact me please do at
anytime day or night as I do not sleep. Our information is
at the top of this page. AWS
has also now become an AWA (American Watercraft Association)
charter chapter. Please
visit our website at www.alabamaws.webs.com
Thanks
And hope to hear from you
Robert Wilkes – Founder and President: AWS
Contact info:
Alabama Watercraft Society
Robert Wilkes: Founder & President
205-999-4896
www.alabamaws.webs.com
rawilkes1@gmail.com
