WIN 2 MACNA TICKETS!! FULL Conference passes!

[revhtree]

MACNA 2010 is coming up fast and you have a chance to get 2 free tickets!

In order to win you must write a post and tell us why you want to go to MACNA 2010 in Orlando, FL!

One post per member! All other post will be deleted to keep the thread clean! Drawing will be whenever we decide! LOL!

Thanks to MACNA 2010 for these tickets!

 

[TANKSALOT]

It would be very special to be able to attend MACNA.
It is in my backyard here in Florida and I really want to go.
I have been involved in this hobby for just over a year and know that I have a lot to learn.
I always try to help my fellow reefers. I think I have given away more equipment than I currently have.
I started a local reef club and we are celebrating our 1st year anniversary this July.

If I get the opportunity to attend MACNA, it will mean that I will be able to share additional knowledge with my fellow reefers.
Of course I will take tons of PIC's to share as well.

Thank you for your consideration!

TANKSALOT
aka - Steve

 

[Antonias1391]

Im new to the hobby and i want to see and learn as much as i possibly can :] the presentations and conversations with professionals would be well worth the trip. seeing all the amazing corals would be a plus as well. also it would be fun to see my cousins

 

[CHALICEKEEPER]

I have never been to a coral show and would love to attend this one. It sounds like it is going to be a great time with alot of our fellow reefers attending it should be epic. I will start saving my money now if i can. It is so hard to not buy that next hot coral. Just when i think im good i buy something else its never ending. Addicted to the reef!!!

 

[clowns101]

I would like to go to MACNA to learn something new from another experinced reefer and learn the other vlause of reefing other than clownfish and sea anemone keeping.

 

[litenyaup]

i would love attend this show, but with just being laid off from the fire department i really cannot afford it. my wife and i just opened a new salon and all of our extra money went into it.

i have heard a lot of great things about this show and with it being in Florida i thought it would be a consideration this year.

thanks a bunch for this opportunity!

 

[CoralQueen]

i am pretty new to this forum, but not to the hobby. I am 21 years old and have had a passion for the ocean my entire life. I always wanted to be a marine biologist, but by the time college came around my family thought i would be more successful as a business woman. I will graduate with honors in the spring of 2011 in business marketing, but reefing will always be my hobby of choice. I absolutely love my fish tank and crave anything reef related! I have never attended any type of reef swap, conference, or convention. There are not many held in VA, to my knowledge. I would absolutely love to go to MACNA 2010! If I could win the passes I would be able to pay for the gas to get there, and could save money staying with friends. If I could go to MACNA 2010 as my first large reefer gathering, it would be an amazing and unforgettable learning experience! Learning about this hobby is essential to keeping it alive! I can not count the number of people who have become interested in reefing after hearing my enthusiasm! MACNA 2010 would only further enhance my enthusiasm for everything from Reef2Reef!

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

I have been sitting on over 250,00 air mile points with Alaska Airline for the last 6 plus years and have been looking for a reason to use them. Being a single father with 3 kids that are under the age of 14, and with me most of the time, I don’t seam to find enough me time. The world revolves around them.
Its not the cost of the tickets that keeps me from going but it’s the idea of spending money on something other then the kids. My Reef tank is my only thing I call my own. It took me about 18 months to save up and put together. I even finally gave up smoking to be able to pay for the larger power bill (I know bad reason but it worked in my mind) I guess having the tickets in my hand makes me take the extra step and book the flight and hotel. Also gives me a chance to hook up with an old high school girlfriend that lives in the Orlando area.

 

[Demonic]

Being stationed here in North Dakota we never get to see any vendors and the best our fish store gets for corals are an orange and maybe a green zoa. I have never seen any corals except for the ones I own. It would be nice to actually see a few in person. I would def buy plane tickets to Florida and take my kids to Disney World if I won these. So really you would be doing it for the kids if you gave them to me. :angel:

 

[BlazinNano]

I would love to go.
I have been in the hobby for almost two years now and have not been able to attend a show besides local club meetings.
I have made a lot of friends because of this hobby and some who I have never met in person.
I had plans on attending MACNA this year because it is right down the street from me. But do to be laid-off back in Feb. I know that I will not be able to afford a ticket for the whole show.
I have heard that MACNA is the biggest and baggest show all year. Everyone in club is talking about it none stop. It would be so greatful if I could just go and see everything and everyone. I will even take some time out of the days to help out. I will volunteer a couple hours aday to help everyone.

 

[110reef]

I have had a saltwater aquarium since I was 13 years old, which means for the past 36 years. I have always loved the ocean and the life it supports. I have never gone to a MACNA event.

I had tickets to go to MACNA in Atlanta 2 years ago. I was all ready to go, but Hurricane Gustav was heading towards my home, in Baton Rouge, LA. I decided that I could not leave my family alone with a Hurricane coming, so I did not go. As it turns out, Gustav came very close to my home. All the large trees went over in my yard. One huge red-oak, the trunk was 6' in diameter, fell and crushed my storage shed flat to the ground, and took out 3 other large trees with it. Another tree fell on the house and broke a hole in the roof, allowing a lot of water to come in the house. (I was actually standing right where it hit at the time, looking out the window. The tree fell so fast I had no time to react before it was on the house. Luckily, the house was strong enough that the wall held up or I would have been crushed.) It was extremely scary as the storm raged around our house, with trees going over, a hole in the house, and water pouring in everywhere. I will never forget the experience. Also, we were without power for over a week. I kept my tank alive with our portable generator, until some members of my local reef club rescued my livestock and kept it in their tanks until we got power back. Long story short, $62,000 and 6 months later, my house is repaired and other than having no more large trees, everything is back to normal. So, I definitely made the right decision by not going to MACNA. However, it is very disappointing to have missed it, especially since I had already paid for the tix. Also sad that I have not yet gotten to tour the Atlanta aquarium, though it is on my list to do sometime. At any rate, I would like to attend the MACNA event in Orlando.

 

[m and m]

I went last year and it was amazing, and i would love to fo it again this year.

 

[Aquascaper]

As a person who approaches this hobby and all that it encompasses:
1.People first
2.animals second
3.research
4. development of better reefing techniques....

I personally devote the majority of each day working to enrich the lives of others- through whatever means possible....
I receive personal gratification in the excitement of others as they learn and grow within this hobby and in their own lives,
for this reason, I am truly blessed beyond any amount of money.

God continues to richly bless me with the love, and friendship of others as only He can.
He also has always been there for me and my family- providing for our financial needs- though ways I couldn't even imagine.

I consider myself as a servant- and have grown in my own personal maturity- to realize that satisfaction of doing for others is
in itself the Greatest reward possible- and therefore I can now approach each day with a burning desire to help others grow
without a need for a thank you or expecting a pat on the back...
This has been a long road of personal growth for me as I do work very diligently to learn and share any and all information possible
especially in the reefing realm....

The reason I use a professional name "Aquascaper" or " 'Scaper" is mainly because I know that "Daamon" is just another person,
a person that is flawed in every human way possible and would most likely be extremely arrogant in being accepted in the reefing world as a Professional or expert in the field.
God gets all the Glory for He is the One that has prepared me my entire life for this purpose of being a servant to others and their goal of enriching their lives through the unsurpassed rewards that are inherent with owning a reef tank...

I will with all humility share that, although each day of my life involves sharing, caring, or helping bring animals and people closer together for health and happiness, I have not yet in my 30 years of this hobby had the financial discretionary funds to afford a trip to
MACNA.

This is a void in my experience and a heart wrenching reality that I live with each year...

I would be Honored in an indescribable way to have this opportunity, and I would be Happy to bring back to R2R the experience in every way possible... from pictures- to learned new techniques- to new product developments...

Thanks for reading,
I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my story.
Daamon

 

[edwing206]

I would love to go because winning free stuff is awesome!

 

[nicks387]

I have always wanted to go to MACNA but have never had the time to make the trip. Now that its in Orlando I can go and bring my wife and 2 boys to Disney World in the same trip. This way I do not have to leave my family behind. I would love to visit WWC while I am there as well. For me going to Macna would be a wish come true as I am a hard core reef keeper and thats the place to be.

 

[Elan]

I have also always wanted to go but dont have the money to (i am a teenager) and my parents would flip if i told them it was that much money a ticket. I would also like to show at least a member of my family what some really nice coral looks like and maybe get them into it too.

 

[ricwilli]

So that I can WIN the BIG FISH TANK and sell it on the spot cause I live in NJ and will not be able to bring it home. LOL!

 

[Mr. Tang]

WOW!! This is awesome. So the tickets will be awarded to someone who writes up a post why they deserve free tickets.

Well I could tell my story. About a year and half ago I got laid off from my job. I was earning a salary where my wife was able to stay home and raise our three kids. She had to search for a job to help with the bills. But the best she could find was a part-time job. I searched for a job as well but was only able to find a part-time job as well. Luckily we had a little bit of money from unemployement, so we were able to keep the lights on and put food on the table. We had to go default on three small loans from lack of money. And I was forced to sell off my display tank.

We struggled for about a year and I got a small promotion at work. We were still part-time, but the raise from the promotion helped. So we have been able to slowly make more money from both part-time jobs and the remaining unemployment. So I was able to get a small aquarium. We set it up but have not be able to stock it because we just can't afford to buy the corals and fish we want.

Since the fall of our economy, my wife and I have been working as much as possible. We haven't been able to get away for almost two years. Wining these tickets would almost be like a vacation for us! Of course we would have to budget for the trip down and a hotel stay but it could be done without us having to worrying about MACNA tickets.

Not a sobe story but one that could have a high note in a time of sad days.

 

[Jessy]

I want to go! Why?! Because I've been the last few years and MACNA is one of the funnest events I do every year. I haven't got my tickets yet because money has been really tight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll win these tickets for my birthday

 

[FROGMAN]

i really want to go because i've never been and ive heard its really fun.so i will definately keep my fingers crossed hoping i'll win