Editorial

Sportsbarn triathlon

Athletes from the Chattanooga area are invited to test their physical strength at the 20th Annual Sportsbarn Sprint Triathlon on Sunday, Aug. 7. The event will start at the Chickamauga Dam, where competitors will swim, ride, run, or paddleboard to downtown Chattanooga. The triathlon will begin at 7 a.m. with the participants either swimming one-quarter mile or paddleboarding one mile across Chickamauga Lake. The middle portion of the race will consist of an 8.2-mile bike ride to downtown Chattanooga via Amnicola Highway. The event will end with a 2-mile run along the Chattanooga riverfront and the North Shore. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners overall and in each age group. The proceeds from the triathalon will benefit First Things First, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening area families. Register online at www.sportsbarn.net or by calling The Sportsbarn at (423) 266-1125. Pre-registration is required. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6. For more information about First Things First, visit www.firstthings.org.

Women’s Leadership Institute celebrates

20 years

The Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute (CWLI) is celebrating two decades of building a more female-inclusive culture in the Chattanooga business community by hosting a 20th anniversary celebration on Aug. 23. Formed in 1996 with only seven members, CWLI is a local nonprofit organization that provides mentoring, training, and leadership development to more than 500 businesswomen throughout the Chattanooga community. The Aug. 23 event will feature a memorial for one of the organization’s founders, Mai Bell Hurley, a dedicated advocate for the arts in Chattanooga and respected public servant who passed away last year. A CWLI history exhibit will also be on display as well, along with music by Booker T. Scruggs, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and wine. The celebration is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at The Venue, located at 4119 Cummings Highway in Chattanooga. Tickets are available to purchase for $25 per person at www.cwli.org. Five dollars from each ticket purchased will go to the CWLI Scholarship Fund, which provides financial aid to professional women in need in the Chattanooga community.

Haslam to speak at Chamber meeting

Gov. Bill Haslam will keynote the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting Wednesday, Aug. 24 at the Chattanooga Convention Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gov. Haslam will speak about Tennessee’s progress in economic development, creating jobs, and higher education. The meeting will also highlight Chamber accomplishments, and the first annual Mayors’ Award for the Arts will be presented. The Annual Meeting registration deadline is Aug. 17. Find out more and purchase tickets at www.chattanoogachamber.com.

Happy hour at the zoo

The Chattanooga Zoo will host Ales & Tails one Thursday a month through September. Dates and times are Aug. 25 and Sept. 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Each event will be held in a different part of the zoo. Attendees will be able to enjoy a cash beer and wine bar, animal encounters, keeper interaction, and learn more about the Chattanooga Zoo’s conservation efforts and plans for the future. Animal sponsorship opportunities will be available. Carter Distributing and Athens Distributing will provide the cash bar; Moe’s Southwest Grill will prepare the hors d’oeuvres. Ales & Tails is a 21-and-older event. All proceeds will go to the Chattanooga Zoo and its animals. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit www.chattzoo.org/events/ales-tails.

Chattanooga Friends Chili Cook-Off

Chattanooga Friends will present its first Chili Cook-Off on Friday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Miller Plaza. Teams from local companies, restaurants, and nonprofits will compete to win prizes for the best chili in Chattanooga. Guests will purchase a bottomless bowl for $5, which they can fill with chili from each team. Chattanooga Friends is accepting team entries starting at $250, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Proceeds will benefit Siskin Children’s Institute, Northside Neighborhood House, Boys and Girls Club, and Little Miss Mag Early Learning Center. v