Houston, Texas – It was the yearly Jeep Weekend in Galveston County, with about 11,000 attendees. Owing to safety concerns, officials on Bolivar Island in Crystal Beach asked shops and restaurants to close early several weeks before the event.
Since its inception in 2008, the occasion—known nationwide as “Go Topless Day”—has provided Jeep owners with a chance to enjoy the sun and generate funds for a variety of unusual organizations. For the past 17 years, the organizers, Turn5, and their brand, Barricade, have continued the custom.
Turn5 and Barricade have thrown 560 events around the country in the last year, raising more than $180,000 for charitable causes. Since 2019, the event has helped generate almost $687,000 for charitable causes overall.
Steven Voudouris, the founder, president, and CEO of Turn5 Inc., stated that his business would want to highlight the generosity and optimism surrounding the events in the state of Texas.
“People who appreciate the great outdoors and have an adventurous attitude are known as jeep enthusiasts. We wish to contribute to this zeal and keep up our support for our neighborhood communities.
Turn5, however, said that over time, the Galveston-based event has damaged the festive atmosphere and altruistic nature.
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This year, the event resulted in over 189 arrests, and on Saturday morning, Galveston County handled three different shooting complaints. Over the weekend, there was one gunshot that resulted in death, and at least one suspect is now in police custody.
The Galveston event is NOT a sponsored “Go Topless Day” event, according to the organizers. Turn5 wanted to make it clear that, even though the Galveston event is usually featured in local and national media, it is everything but the family-friendly event that is supposed to be happening.
Officials from Turn5, including Barricade, do not support or take part in the Crystal Beach event, and there is no connection between Go Topless Day and Turn5.
