Family Travels From Georgia to Volunteer at Hometown Races

Chris Brannam's idea of a vacation is different from most people's, and his hometown of Decatur, Illinois couldn't be happier about it.

When volunteer coordinator Susan Urquhart called asking for help with Hardy's Race for the Lake boat races, Brannam didn't just say yes. He packed up his kids and grandkids in Georgia and made the trip back to the city where he lived for 40 years, ready to work.

"I volunteered in the 2000s to help Susan then, and I thought, why not come back and help the community?" Brannam said. "When Susan called me and said 'Let's get the team back together,' then we'll do it."

Three generations of Brannams worked the weekend event together. They manned entrance gates, hauled ice and cold water for racers, and ensured people with disabilities could enjoy the festivities without barriers.

"This is my vacation," Brannam said with a smile.

His daughter Taylor, heading into her junior year of high school in Georgia, was born in Decatur but moved when she was small. She doesn't remember many people from her birthplace, but her father does, and that was enough reason to come back.

"It's like coming full circle," Taylor said. "I was raised in Sullivan for a little bit of my life. We kind of just come back when we can for this, to see family, you know."

Taylor serves as Urquhart's assistant and said she's willing to go wherever she's needed. The flexibility matters because coordinating volunteers for a major community event takes serious commitment.

Sunny's Take

Susan and Dale Urquhart chaired the boat races from 1993 to 2005. When the event stopped for 20 years and returned in June 2024 thanks to sponsor Dan Hardy, the Urquharts came back too, along with many of their original volunteers.

"These guys, all of them have been with me for two years, and a lot of them for all three years it's been back," Susan said. She finds her volunteers through word of mouth, through sponsoring businesses, through friends and churches, and many return year after year.

She rotates people between sunny and shaded posts, feeds them lunch, and makes sure they're cared for. "It's the least we can do. They're spending their hours down here with me."

One volunteer is her mother-in-law, Leona Urquhart, who simply said: "I like volunteering, really."

For the Brannams, the weekend represents more than helping out at a boat race. It's about showing up for a place that shaped them, proving that distance doesn't erase the pull of home or the responsibility to give back when called.