OCEAN CITY, Md. - OC AdventureFest is back for a second year but it started out as an idea to stop a controversial car rally.
Cliff Sutherland is an organizer of the festival and he said he felt like creating the event only made sense.Â
"I said we got to do something with this H2Oi problem and I have a solution," Sutherland said. "Let's put on an outdoor sports and gun show that supports police and military and bring them into town and that will help keep H20i away because they don't want to come where all the police are."
This weekend OC AdventureFest kicks off at the convention center. On Saturday the outdoor sports and gun show takes place and Sunday the concert featuring Don Mclean.
A portion of the sales of AdventureFest will go to two organizations that benefit local and state police, fire fighters, lifeguards and EMS.
Kim Mueller, the director of sales for Ocean City said this event is more than welcomed in Ocean City.
"With us being focused on tourism, festivals, the demands that this city puts on that infrastructure, our emergency responders, is a lot to ask," Mueller said. "Anything we could do to support them with the events that we host it's icing on the cake."
Some locals like Cindy Miller said anything that stops the car rally is good with her.
"If they know that all these other these policemen and responders are all here, I hope to God they think well we're not going to go," Miller said. "They know they won't be able to do what they want to do or have the chance to mess up our town."
While some like Jerry Simpson said he's glad the town can show support to the people who watch over Ocean City.
"First responders are the lifeblood of our community," Simpson said. They make us safe and make a nice place for tourists to come down and they can feel very comfortable here and not be threatened."