<b>From staff reports</b>

The Beaufort Water Festival Board of Directors released a letter the community on Tuesday announcing there would be no Beaufort Water Festival this summer as a result of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak.

The event was originally scheduled for July 17 through 26, 2020. Instead of this year, the 65<sup>th</sup> annual event will take place in July 2021.

Here’s a copy of the board’s letter to the community:

To Beaufort and the Lowcountry Community,

Our Water Festival crew has spent many months planning the 65th Annual Beaufort Water Festival for July 2020. Paramount to our planning has been the current status of COVID-19 and the health precautions needed to maintain a safe environment.

Our organization has three driving factors: the community, partnerships, and volunteers. The relationships among these elements are what makes the Annual Beaufort Water Festival a leading, time-honored tradition throughout the southeast.

Considering the recommendations from the Center of Disease Control, health care professionals, and ultimately, the safety and health of us all, we feel it is necessary to postpone the 65th Annual Beaufort Water Festival and all associated sports and water &amp; air events until July 2021. This decision was not made easily and is driven by the utmost concern for our community, partners, and dedicated staff of volunteers.

We thank you for your understanding and we are confident that if we all work together and support each other, our community will return to normalcy stronger than ever.

Sincerely,

The Annual Beaufort Water Festival Board of Directors