Charleston Bed Race
The second annual Charleston Bed Race, benefiting Camp Happy Days, kicked off in Hampton Park on Sunday, April 10.
Charleston Bed Race
The second annual Charleston Bed Race, benefiting Camp Happy Days, kicked off in Hampton Park on Sunday, April 10.
Spotting Smurfs, gorilla suits, Ghostbusters, and lots of children in Hampton Park usually means one of two things: it’s Halloween, or it’s the annual Charleston Bed Race. If your Smurf sighting happened last Sunday, you were privy to one of Charleston’s most innovative and exciting family-friendly affairs, benefiting Camp Happy Days.
Back for it’s second year, this year’s Bed Race offered twice as much marvelous mayhem. Outrageously decorated beds faced off in heats to move on to the final race, and this year’s track was a two-city-block up and back course, which allowed for some strategizing.
Bed designs ranged from a chicken pen to a fire engine and even a pirate ship, and one mobile mattress ferried a gorilla while blasting “Brass Monkey” by the Beastie Boys. Although a bed lost a wheel and another suffered a blow out, on the whole onlookers were able to breathe a sigh of relief, as this year’s beds were far more carefully constructed than their forefathers.
While the improved bed construction and a few new rules made for a more predictable race (sans flying wheels, airborne bits of mattress, and wayward headboards), the cleaner course inspired some devious race strategies, taking competitors by surprise and energizing the crowd. The US Coast Guard "Chiefs to the Rescue" bed ran interference against the The City of Charleston Palmetto Smurfs by pulling ahead and weaving wildly across the road, and spectators cheered the Chiefs across the finish line.
When not egging teams on, guests mingled in the Beer Garden or enjoyed a tasty treat from Taco Boy. People of all ages wandered the park and played with some of the many canine supporters roaming about the crowd. It was another successful afternoon of bedlam, benefiting a wonderful cause.
The Charleston Bed Race is an annual event which benefits Camp Happy Days, an organization that has been serving children diagnosed with cancer and their families in the Charleston area for over 28 years. Camp Happy Days is a year round program which supports South Carolina’s pediatric cancer patients by providing programs, special events emotional support and access to crisis resources.
Comments
Hampton Park is a public space. Events there range from weddings to charity events to Reggae festivals. These residents of the city of Charleston have as much right as anyone to take advantage of this beautiful and versatile park, especially for an event that has numerous benefits and very few Drawbacks, save for the mild discomfort of some residents.
Drawbacks: parking lot closed off. Peace&quiet disrupted. Park taken over for single-purpose use which required beer sales to maximize income. (These are not things that happen with weddings.)
Benefits: public space converted to event venue for Camp Happy Days. Which if you'll do some research, you'll find has some controversial baggage of its own.
Solution: ask yourself - is it in any way acceptable that children with cancer are bankrupting their families, and can't afford a little break at Camp Happy Days without redirecting another public benefit? Should maybe the government just cover the expenses of these patients?
If you're honestly waiting for the government to take care of things, that's an entirely different issue (and discussion). The point is that, regardless of the Camp's "baggage", Hampton Park is a public park and the event did not harm or damage anyone/anything. Those involved in the event had every right to be there. Hampton Park is an outstanding place; share the wealth.
I'm sorry you feel this way. Please call me so we can talk about it. I was in charge of the event.
I have to agree with brother Mike. Hampton Park is a "passive park" in a residential neighborhood. A place for people to enjoy fresh air, flowers, peace&quiet, maybe a picnic, feeding the ducks. The bed race could take place anywhere there is pavement.
The main parking lot was closed off before noon on Sunday. By 2 PM the whole north end of the park resembled a frat party. I say take the event somewhere else.
While I respect that you don't drink alcohol, I do not believe this event could ever be construed as a "selfish display." Yes, you had to park on the street, but this event raised a lot of money for sick children. Personally, if I had to walk a few extra feet because it would help a sick kid, I would be okay with such a "selfless" act.
Also, many families were in attendance. The park was filled with smiling children who participated. I would be interested to see how much of the proceeds of the event's alcohol sales went towards the sick children-- I'm fairly confident that most of it helped the charity, while also drawing in crowds, which also brought in more money.
Family friendly as long as yours is a drinking family. For the decent people who wanted to visit Hampton Park after church, the parking lot was closed. More important to facilitate beer service.
never again will this selfish display occur at Hampton Park.
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