THE entry list for the annual Monmouth raft race, on Sunday 2nd September, is now open, and the organisers, Monmouth Rotary Club, are offering an Earlybird discounted entry fee of £40 per raft, for crews that enter before 1st June. The normal entry fee is £75 per raft.

This years’ Monmouth raft race event, being staged for the 53rd time on the River Wye, will see teams of between 4 and 10 rafters, build their rafts in the weeks before the event, and then paddle them 6.5 miles downriver from Monmouth to Whitebrook.

The main sponsor for the Monmouth raft race event will again be David Wilson Homes, who are building the new housing development at Kings Wood Gate in Monmouth.

Siltbuster Ltd of Monmouth, Harrison Clark Rickerby’s solicitors from Ross on Wye, and Jolly Clothing of Monmouth have each agreed to sponsor an award. The Rotary Club has several more awards and would welcome an approach from any other organisation willing to become an Award Sponsor. Please e mail Rotarian Norman Williams at monmouth

rotaryclub@gmail.

com for details.

By covering the organisational costs through corporate sponsorship, the club is able to make a larger donation to charity. The principal beneficiary of this years’ raft race will again be St David’s Hospice Care.

Monmouth Rotary President, Sandra Davey, said: “We are very grateful to both sponsors of our annual raft race event, and the crews who take part, for their support. We have cemented a unique bond with St David’s Hospice Care over the last 14 years that we have been working with them as our nominated charity in the raft race. Many families across South East Wales are very grateful for the end of life support that St David’s provide, free of charge, to family members, and the contribution from the raft race helps cover the costs.

“Monmouth Rotary Club have been organising the Monmouth Raft Race for the past 16 years, and in that time the event has gone from strength to strength. With almost 100 rafts taking part each year, crewed by over 700 rafters, more than £280,000 has been raised for charity. Let’s hope we can build on this success in 2018”.

For full details about the Monmouth raft race, including the early bird discount for entries before 1st June, visit www.monmouth

raftrace.com or call raft race co-ordinators Rotarian Norman Williams on 01291 680016, or Kris Broome at St David’s Hospice Care on 01633 851051.