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Caloosa Winnies
February 2009 Outing
February 5 – 8, 2009 the Caloosa Winnies celebrated
Valentine’s Day combined with a Friendship Rally at Lee Civic Center
Fairgrounds in North Ft. Myers, FL. 34 coaches were in attendance
including 2 Winnebago guests and 6 guests with other brands! The weather
was not typical South Florida with temperatures in the 40’s but it didn’t
cool our enthusiasm one bit! Co-hosts for the event were Kathryn Griffin,
Gene & Lois Hogan, Dave Nobert, Janice Cummings, Jim & Sally Rayburn, John
& Lydia Ryan, Bud & Paula Geng.
Thursday Happy Hour the Caloosa Raffle Chicks and
Roosters made an appearance all decked out in their Valentine attire! Gail
& Gary Darner, Corinne & Pete Wightman put on a great show for the group
and sold a bunch of tickets which were drawn for prizes!
Bud Geng provided his wonderful Spaghetti Dinner for
the group with the members bringing dishes to compliment the meal. For
dessert an Ice Cream Social was on the table with all the toppings for
sundaes! Later we played a “Famous Friends” contest – a word scramble done
in teams to match up famous friends from movies, entertainment, TV, etc.
The team winners were Ellen Zucker, Lucille Welchman & John Lesnefsky.
Lucille & John were guests so we were delighted they won!
Winnebago guests attending were introduced, George
Roth & Judy Lee, Gerry & Ileane
Arenstein and both couples joined the Caloosas before
the weekend ended! All other guests were also introduced and welcomed by
the Caloosas.
Friday morning our hosts prepared and served a
pancake breakfast complete with sausage and fruit. Next on the agenda was
a trip to nearby Babcock Ranch. This is a nature preserve with an actual
working ranch filled with animals, plants and lots of history. The tram
ride was just great and we got to see so many different things! Back at
the Rec Hall the cooks made Walking Tacos for lunch which everyone
enjoyed! This was a new experience for most of the group but it hit the
spot on a cool day! The afternoon was free time to explore the area or
visit with friends. Happy Hour began at 4:00pm and a group dinner was
enjoyed at Golden Corral in Fort Myers. Back at the Rec Hall we played
another game and cards were brought out for those who wished to
participate.
Saturday morning was Potluck Breakfast – what
wonderful dishes all the members and guests prepared! At 10:00am it was
time for the business meeting conducted by President Jerry Miller. We
adjourned for lunch, and at 1:00pm festivities began at the Rec Hall. It
was the Opening Ceremonies of the “Toilet Paper Olympics”, complete with
the Olympic theme music, torch lighting and flag waving. President Jerry
Miller declared the games open! There were 8 games set up around the room
all using rolls to toilet paper to complete the games. Bowling, soft roll
pitch, overhead toss, fishing, shell game, roll stacking were just some of
the games! It was fun for all with actual winners announced later that
evening.
Happy Hour and dinner began at 4:00pm with “Souper
Chicken” prepared by the hosts.
Members and guests brought dishes to compliment the
meal and what a display of food!
At 7:00pm Jerry Miller presented the awards for the
“Olympic Games”. The Bronze Medal for 3rd place was presented to Bud
Swift, Silver Medal for 2nd place – Jim Brand, and the Gold Medal for 1st
place - Gene Hogan! Congratulations to all the winners!
For the evening entertainment a local group “Dick &
Diane LeDeux” played and sang music for listening and dancing. They were a
big hit with the group – everyone got up to dance and it proved to be a
great way to end our day! The Caloosas have a bunch of wonderful dancers
which we never knew until this day!
Sunday morning we gathered once again for breakfast
of coffee, donuts, bagels and fruit. As we reflected on the weekend we all
agreed it was wonderful to meet new friends and enjoy all the activities
together! This Friendship Rally proved to be so much fun we will schedule
the same weekend for 2010!
Nancy Miller
239-565-3115 |