Hosted by Shootout title sponsor Performance Boat Center of Osage Beach, MO, the 34th Annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout presented checks to receiving charities and first responders of the Tri-County Lake Area. The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout announced a record-breaking donation amount totaling $625,000 to 40 local charities, police and fire departments. Brett Manire, Co-owner of Performance Boat Center, opened the evening with several humbling words: “The Annual Shootout gives more back to the Lake of the Ozarks community than any other organization, and Performance Boat Center is incredibly proud to be a continued sponsor and supporter of such a great cause.”

“Gathering more local and national support, momentum, and recognition each year, those who support and help organize the Shootout realize that raising a combined $625,000 is an immense feat, and an incredible accomplishment. These donations impact the lives of thousands upon thousands of individuals at the Lake of the Ozarks, and around the State of Missouri. The impact that this event has is what makes it not only one of the best boating events in the country, but the very best anywhere,” said Ron Duggan, Board President and Owner of Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill, which hosts the Shootout each year. “This event wouldn’t happen without our amazing 659 volunteers who donated nearly 9,000 hours of their time and energy this year, and they make the event possible every year.”

“Tonight is about celebrating our loyal volunteers and the charities they represent,” said Leah Martin, Executive Director. The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout is the largest, unsanctioned boat race in the United States of America, and it was voted as one of the top must-see boating events in the country, according to Powerboat Magazine. This premier boating event draws participants from across the nation and beyond, and in 2022 alone, it attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators (both near and far), with more than 100,000 viewers attending locally by either water or land. This unparalleled event showcases some of the fastest, fiercest boats in the entire world. Having once attracted the Spirit of Qatar, a 50-foot Mystic Powerboats catamaran Al Adaa’am 96, Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani of Qatar and world-renowned powerboat racer/throttleman, Steve Curtis, achieved a record-breaking 244 miles per hour along the Shootout’s former 1-mile race course—clenching 2014’s Shootout Top Gun Award. Curtis, the new owner of the Spirit of Qatar (official name pending), hopes to partake in the Shootout and race along the 3/4-mile race course, possibly as soon as next year.

In 2022, more than 130 vessels raced along the beguiling and forever-beautiful waters of the Lake of the Ozarks, pushing their horsepower to the limit while trying to gain maximum speeds to take top winners of their respective classes. When people think of the Shootout, they often think of alluring go-fast boats—which there are plenty of. However, the Shootout is also a driving force for our local economy. The Annual Shootout brings with it millions of dollars in revenue, each and every year, to Lake Area businesses, lodging destinations, restaurants, local attractions and more.

Longtime Shootout volunteer Diana Dorhauer has given freely of her time for more than three decades now (both Diana and her crew oversee race registration). “I volunteer for the Shootout for several reasons, but first and foremost, because of what the event has done and continues to do for the Osage Beach Fire Protection District,” Diana said. Her husband, Jeff Dorhauer, retired from OBFPD after thirty years of service and has witness, firsthand, what these funds do for first responders. “One of the many projects that Jeff took part in involved the Missouri Eagle Scouts who build memorials for firefighters, police, and EMTs/paramedics who have died in the line of duty. OBFPD’s donation is earmarked for this project.

Remembering and honoring those who were willing to give their all for our community: this is my ‘why,’ and it’s what drives me to volunteer for the Shootout.”

The 35th Annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout will take place on August 26th-27th, 2023. For up-to-date information on this amazing event, visit www.lakeoftheozarksshootout.com

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