International Lighthouse Ham Radio Day is Saturday in Berwick

The big red lighthouse will be featured around the world Saturday at the Everett S. Berry Lighthouse Park in Berwick from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is part of the International Lighthouse Weekend.
Berwick’s Southwest Reef Lighthouse has been added to the register and will be featured. Ham radio operators from BEARS (Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio) will make radio contact with other operators at lighthouses from areas including Argentina, Australia, Denmark, Ireland, South Africa, Italy, Norway and the United States. Each communication will be amplified for everyone to hear.
As of Tuesday, 461 lighthouses from around the world were registered for the event, Jackie Price of BEARS said.
Sixty-six of those entrants are from the U.S., Price said.
At Tuesday’s Berwick Council meeting, Mayor Pro-tem Jacki Ackel said organizers have a large world map and U.S. map for Saturday’s Lighthouse Ham Radio Day and will place a pin at each location with which ham radio operators make contact, Ackel said.
“The part that I’m looking forward to is that this year all radio contacts will be amplified so as they’re speaking to someone in another state, or in another country, we’ll be able to hear that,” Ackel said.
Last year, the Berwick site made contact with over 50 lighthouses from the U.S. and many foreign countries.
Co-sponsored by the Town of Berwick and Coral Marine, this second annual event will begin with an opening ceremony featuring the Coast Guard Color Guard raising the American Flag on the Ray Rasberry Memorial Radio Tower alongside the Lighthouse.
The day’s event will also feature a coloring contest for young children, food, radio demonstrations, and St. Mary Parish Homeland Security.
Another highlight of the day will be the Berwick Town Market vendors set up along the seawall offering a variety of homemade and handmade arts, crafts, produce and more.
Mr. Frank’s famous homemade hamburgers will be on sale, along with cold drinks sold by the Berwick Fire Department. Big Chill snowballs will also be on sale.
The purpose of the event is to bring information about the lighthouse to others, thus fostering international goodwill. Additionally, the event strives to raise awareness of the critical need for ham radio.
This form of communication is often used to make contact in times of disaster. Ham radio was the only source of contact during Hurricane Katrina and the 911 New York bombing.
Organizers of the event encourage everyone to come out and witness this historic event.