Chairman of the East Gippsland Sports foundation, Scott Ashley announced this week that the Great Lakes Tinny Tour and Muster is in the final planning stages for the event be held over the March long weekend in 2027.
Scott said the event will be a family fun event with entrants to be made up of father son, mother daughter or a couple of mates in a tinny enjoying where they live.
Plus, all entrants will gain a little more knowledge of the lakes.
The event was put on the back burner sometime ago but Scott said he was extremely pleased with the enthusiasm of the current committee to run the event in 2027.
Consulting with legal and insurance advisers as well as Gippsland Lakes authorities it appears the event will be a winner.
The committee have already secured a tinny with motor and trailer as the major lucky entrant prize along with other sponsor prizes.
Scott said the event will be subject to reasonable weather conditions on the lakes and the committee will take advice from lake authorities on safe operating conditions for the family fun tour.
The weekend tinny tour and muster will start Saturday morning in Lakes Entrance, have an overnight camping experience on the lakes and return to Lakes Entrance the next day (Sunday) after lunch for the tinny muster rendezvous.
The event is a promotion and fundraiser for the East Gippsland Sports Foundation that has supported more than 90 young aspiring East Gippsland athletes over the past 21 years in their quest to be their best.
The foundation has distributed over $120,000 to local athletes over that period.
The foundation was founded by Harvey Bates (dec.) past mayor of the East Gippsland Shire Council after he gathered a responsible local community board around him.
The foundation was modelled on the Ballarat foundation making Bairnsdale and Ballarat sports foundations the only two of their kind in the state at that time.
