PNC Roar on the River
TRENTON, Mich. — The Trenton Rotary Club has announced that PNC Bank will be the new title sponsor of the PNC Roar on the River, July 23-25, at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. This is the third consecutive year that PNC and its legacy bank have sponsored the annual waterfront festival and powerboat racing event.
Celebrating the event’s 60th anniversary this year, the Trenton Rotary Club is proud to be hosting the PNC Roar on the River. The Club has organized the event since the mid-1970s.
“Our continuing title sponsorship of this 60-year downriver tradition serves as a shining example of PNC’s ongoing commitment and dedication to our customers and the families in this community,” said David P. Boyle, PNC regional president for Michigan and northwest Ohio. “We look forward to a weekend of fun at this preeminent free outdoor family affair.”
The PNC Roar on the River is one of the largest Downriver events and is one of the few major outdoor community festivals to remain free to the public in southeast Michigan.
The PNC Roar on the River kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 23, with the festive “Taste of the Races” preview party, a taste-fest-style event that will feature the offerings of 42 of the area's restaurants and caterers. For the third consecutive year the opening evening will culminate with a waterfront performance by Fifty Amp Fuse, a popular Detroit area cover band best noted for its adept ability to recreate the sounds of the best known musicians from the 1970s and 1980s.
The preview evening will be followed by two days of powerboat racing featuring two classes of outboard tunnel boats moving along the Detroit River at speeds reaching 120 mph, as well as three other outboard racing classes. The races are sanctioned by the Union of International Motorboating, and world championship titles will be up for grabs during the weekend in the SST 45 and SST 120 tunnel boat classes.
Other weekend activities include Jet Ski shows by “Typhoon Tommy” Nuttall’s stunt team, a fun fair featuring games for children, a Saturday evening outdoor concert called “Rock the River,” and a fireworks show sponsored by Emagine Theatre. Sunday’s highlight will be a “Roar in the Park” classic car show. In addition, the Detroit Pistons Palace Patrol, Hooper and Automotion also will be on hand to provide games and activities throughout the weekend.
Believed to be the region’s longest-running outdoor summer event, the PNC Roar on the River is the product of the support and sponsorship of more than 100 area businesses and hundreds of volunteers.
“Trenton Rotary is honored to have PNC on board as our title partner,” said Brad O'Connor, the club's immediate past president. “We’re looking forward to celebrating our 60th year by making the 2010 Roar the best ever.”
O’Connor said there are numerous ways for businesses and residents to get involved in the Roar, either as sponsors or as volunteers. Information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are available on the Roar Web site at www.trentonroarontheriver.com.
