How this Water Follies leader helped bring a premier Tri-Cities event back from the brink
As Kathy Powell patrols Columbia Park and Lampson Pits, she wears a polo shirt with the word “Retired” printed on the front.
She moves about, making sure paying fans, volunteers and board members are all happy.
This is Powell’s final weekend as Water Follies event director, before Mark Williams takes over for her.
Outside of the late Ken Maurer, Powell is the longest-running event director for what is the Tri-City region’s largest community and sports event.
“I counted the (Water Follies) posters in my office, and it’s up to 16,” said Powell. “When I first took the job (in 2006), we had our office up on Edison Street in Kennewick. I remember thinking how many posters would there be before I was done.”
Being the event director is not an easy job.
“Being the event director is like preparing for Christmas all year long,” said Powell. “And then on Christmas Day, the presents all get open. And you’re stuck with the mess and the bills.”
It’s been a long run for the 60-year-old who dreams of having a summer vacation.
“I’d like to drive Route 66. I want to go to New Mexico. I want to go to Arizona,” she said.
Those will be the new journeys.
This weekend, she’s forced to talk about the old journeys.
“It was just super cool when we went back and see how we got from poverty road to giving to the community,” said Powell.
When she was hired in 2006, the nonprofit group was having financial troubles and some sour relationships with the business community.
“I told Kathy (Balcom Lampson) I thought I could turn this around,” said Powell, who at the time was working out at the Hanford area.
The board had no money to pay Powell.
But Powell said all of the past Water Follies presidents, and some of the board members, ponied up to give Powell a liveable wage while she tried to right the ship.
“I had been a volunteer since 1994, and I didn’t want to see this event go away,” she said.
She and the board had a lot of repair work to do.
“We had no title sponsor. The Budweiser and Apollo people, we went over to talk to them, and we asked them what can we do better. They gave us another chance,” said Powell.
Lamb Weston came on and gave the group a two-year sponsorship.
“Kris Watkins and VisitTri-Cities donated $60,000,” she said. “Kay Metz, who had helped with the old Gold $100 cards, started up the Platinum $1,000 cards. We worked on picking up the bad debt that wasn’t collected.”
Powell’s first year, the Water Follies made a little money.
“The next year we made a little more,” she said.
Each year, save the 2020 pandemic shutdown and the limited 2021 race, seemed to bring in money.
The revenue from Water Follies weekend usually brings in $1.4 million to $3 million to the community.
In turn, the Water Follies group was able to build a warehouse at the base of the cable bridge to store its equipment. It enabled the group to do other good things.
“We bought new motors for the rescue sleds,” said Powell. “We donated money to the Playground of Dreams. We redid all of the docks. We try to look for things to improve along the shoreline on both the Kennewick and Pasco sides of the river.”
Four or five years ago, Water Follies worked with the city of Kennewick to improve the boat launch at the east end of Columbia Park. That project is coming down the pipeline.
The organization also helps out other groups, like loaning out its fencing to the group that runs the high school state cross country championships every year at Sun Willows Golf Course; or loaning its two-way radios to the COVID testing centers around here.
“We’re all about helping the community,” said Powell.
Powell will be the first to say Water Follies’ success isn’t anything she’s done. It’s the large group of people who make things happen.
“We’ve tried to have a good board to work with,” she said. “And the board works together so well. And that board transfers that strong attitude to the volunteers.”
Every year, Powell says she purchases 2,000 T-shirts for the volunteers. And every year, they all get used.
Her proudest moments include putting together the drive-in air show in 2020 (“I love the air show piece”), and getting the 2015 Gold Cup for the Tri-Cities’ 50th annual race.
“I’m not going to miss these 100-plus temperature days,” she added. “And it’s so intense. The month of July can get so intense, working with so many people.”
The Columbia Cup event gets a lot of respect around the country as being the best-run unlimited hydroplane event.
Powell has made friends with the hydroplane team owners, crew and drivers.
“For a long time I couldn’t watch the boat races in person,” said Powell. “I’d wait until after the race was done, made sure no one got hurt, then I’d watch it on tape.”
It’s been a great run for Powell.
“Race week is like a reunion week for me, seeing everybody in the boat racing community,” said Powell. “I’m gonna miss everybody. I’ve met some super cool, crazy people in this job.”
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
