Veterans Water Sports Festival coming this weekend

The inaugural Veterans Water Sports Festival (VWSF) is taking place the weekend of April 27-28.  The purpose of the event is to bring veterans from across our nation together for a weekend of fun in the sun.  

On Saturday April 27 they will be at Crandon Park’s Paradise Cove beach shelter on Key Biscayne, sailing Hobie Trimarans and Kite Boards, Paddle Boards, Adaptive Kayaks and Ocean Kayaks.  On Sunday April 28 they will move to Coconut Grove at the U.S. Sailing Center in Kennedy Park for racing and cruising in a variety of sailboats.  

They will have a fleet of radio-controlled sailboats to race off the floating dock in Kennedy Park. The VWSF is a collaborative event between Team Paradise Sailing, Miami-Dade Parks Disabilities Services, and Veterans Adventure Group.  Approximately 50 Veterans are expected to participate over this two-day event. 

Team Paradise Sailing is a unique sailing organization that gives the disabled community an opportunity to sail at all levels of ability and expertise. Their boats are customized and adapted to match the abilities of the crew.

Miami-Dade Parks Disabilities Services builds memorable experiences and communities through well-designed parks and open spaces that are efficient, accessible, engaging and aesthetically pleasing, guided by the Parks Open Space Master Plan. They offer year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.

The Veterans Adventure Group is a non-profit organization comprised of a group of veterans determined to make a difference in the lives of other veterans. They build, equip, train and execute the mission. Their "missions" cover the full range of extreme activities. Once the initial goal is achieved, participants keep the equipment, and their team can continue training together, setting new goals and achieving them independently with teams they sponsor themselves.