Yesterday a little boy about eight or nine years old walked into the conference, looked at us and asked, "Is this what heaven looks like?" My reply, "Yes, yes it is!" This kind of reaction is what makes the entire year worthwhile...not to mention single-handedly made my day!
After nearly a year of planning, CMAC went together yesterday wonderfully. The Boards members, PR and a few volunteers were an amazing part of putting everything together to make the participants and vendors happy throughout the conference. We have spent countless hours making phone calls, sending emails and dealing with the ups and downs of all the behind-the-scenes craziness to put together something amazing for our members and others of the reef keeping community. Every week we had meetings anywhere from an hour to over two trying to work out all the details, vendors, sponsors, and volunteers. I can only hope that we pulled together a conference that met or exceeded everyone’s expectations because that was our goal.
So, without further ado much thanks to the following….
SassaWrasse (Nichole Buchanan) for putting together a poster and flyers to help us collect donations for the Marine Ornamental Defense Fund.
Collinrb (Collin Bascom) for the numerous weekly meetings you attended with us and for contacting potential vendors.
Bigfish (Mike Thompson) for working with us throughout most of the year and contacting potential vendors.
Goby (Rich Bouvier) for his donation of nearly a palette of water and numerous bags of live sand.
Mass Reef Care & Robert Morrison Bubbbobobrain for dropping off items leftover from the conference to our home & Bob from Bob’s Exotic for holding onto the dolly that would have never fit anywhere in our car. We were considering strapping the children to the hood of the car until you offered to help! Who would have thought that three trucks in and one car out wouldn’t have been enough! Lol
SaltySammy (Kevin Garrison) for helping with advertisement throughout the community, driving to Goby’s house to pick up the palette of water and sand donations as well as bringing that and all the stuff from our home to the hotel Friday night.
Rich Griffiths for bringing a truckload of raffle items from Winfrey’s house Thursday night and dropping it off at the hotel Friday. Also, for picking up the pallet of water from Carib Sea with myself and Bob Friday night.
PL-Reef (Jas Roman) for helping out during the conference. Especially preparing and running all the food and drinks to our vendors.
Vaiodude & Aquamama (Jason & Amy Clark) for all their amazing work! Vaiodude worked with us from 5:00-11:00pm Friday preparing the room and raffle items. The following morning, at 8:00am after only a few hours of sleep, he and Amy returned to help before the conference as well as during the entire show. The entire raffle area as well as how well it ran was because of these two.
Our unbelievably AMAZING volunteers, Brian Garceau, Alana Messier, Robert Tristan, Alex Sanders & the three Larroy children. Brian and Alana worked all night Friday and all day Saturday with the club. The following morning the rest of our volunteers arrived and the conference ran beautifully because of these children!
All the Vendors, & Sponsors who made everything possible for this year’s CMAC.
The Groton Inn & Suites especially Summer & all the staff that helped with the hotel arrangements, the room itself and all the other little things that make the day what it needs to be. A special thanks to the maintenance man/bouncer who helped with some unruly guests as well as getting all the electricity set up for the vendors
The caterer, Imperial Room, for coming off site to the hotel and making a wonderful lunch for all of our participants, volunteers and vendors.
Munchie1976 (Melissa Messier) for the countless hours of gathering information to contact potential vendors, your work on the website as well as Facebook, Google+ and the forums, contacting other clubs, making sign and gift certificates, and for all your help the night before and during the conference. The club work you accomplish is like no other. This whole year has been a huge undertaking on our family and I am nothing but grateful in more then words could describe.
Our treasurer Hans1976 (Jeff Myjak) for helping guide the new Board in preparing for this venture, contacting potential vendors and other clubs, and for all your hard work the night before and during the conference. You are a wonderful asset to this club and your presence will be truly missed next year.
Rwinfrey (Bob Winfrey) for his countless hours of working with all the sponsors and donations. Without Bob, the raffle wouldn’t have been anywhere near the size and value that it was. Thank you for storing nearly EVERYTHING at your home, and for bringing it all to the hotel and setting up with us the night before. You are the astounding silent weapon for CTARS that gets things done and gets them done above and beyond anything anyone could ever imagine! It is no surprise that you were picked up by MASNA.
Our amazing speakers for the day, James Fatherree, Lou Ekus, Justin Credabel & John Coppolino. We thank each one of you for such memorable presentations! You each presented your information in a way that everyone could understand and enjoy. A HUGE, HUGE thank you to each of your for your valuable experience yesterday! We hope you’ll all come back soon!
And last but not least, Red Sea!
Your contribution and generosity to CTARS was impeccable! Words cannot describe how much we appreciate everything you did for this year’s CMAC!!!
Peter, as one of our original CTARS members, we genuinely hope that you will continue to be a part of our club in the future!!!
After nearly a year of planning, CMAC went together yesterday wonderfully. The Boards members, PR and a few volunteers were an amazing part of putting everything together to make the participants and vendors happy throughout the conference. We have spent countless hours making phone calls, sending emails and dealing with the ups and downs of all the behind-the-scenes craziness to put together something amazing for our members and others of the reef keeping community. Every week we had meetings anywhere from an hour to over two trying to work out all the details, vendors, sponsors, and volunteers. I can only hope that we pulled together a conference that met or exceeded everyone’s expectations because that was our goal.
So, without further ado much thanks to the following….
SassaWrasse (Nichole Buchanan) for putting together a poster and flyers to help us collect donations for the Marine Ornamental Defense Fund.
Collinrb (Collin Bascom) for the numerous weekly meetings you attended with us and for contacting potential vendors.
Bigfish (Mike Thompson) for working with us throughout most of the year and contacting potential vendors.
Goby (Rich Bouvier) for his donation of nearly a palette of water and numerous bags of live sand.
Mass Reef Care & Robert Morrison Bubbbobobrain for dropping off items leftover from the conference to our home & Bob from Bob’s Exotic for holding onto the dolly that would have never fit anywhere in our car. We were considering strapping the children to the hood of the car until you offered to help! Who would have thought that three trucks in and one car out wouldn’t have been enough! Lol
SaltySammy (Kevin Garrison) for helping with advertisement throughout the community, driving to Goby’s house to pick up the palette of water and sand donations as well as bringing that and all the stuff from our home to the hotel Friday night.
Rich Griffiths for bringing a truckload of raffle items from Winfrey’s house Thursday night and dropping it off at the hotel Friday. Also, for picking up the pallet of water from Carib Sea with myself and Bob Friday night.
PL-Reef (Jas Roman) for helping out during the conference. Especially preparing and running all the food and drinks to our vendors.
Vaiodude & Aquamama (Jason & Amy Clark) for all their amazing work! Vaiodude worked with us from 5:00-11:00pm Friday preparing the room and raffle items. The following morning, at 8:00am after only a few hours of sleep, he and Amy returned to help before the conference as well as during the entire show. The entire raffle area as well as how well it ran was because of these two.
Our unbelievably AMAZING volunteers, Brian Garceau, Alana Messier, Robert Tristan, Alex Sanders & the three Larroy children. Brian and Alana worked all night Friday and all day Saturday with the club. The following morning the rest of our volunteers arrived and the conference ran beautifully because of these children!
All the Vendors, & Sponsors who made everything possible for this year’s CMAC.
The Groton Inn & Suites especially Summer & all the staff that helped with the hotel arrangements, the room itself and all the other little things that make the day what it needs to be. A special thanks to the maintenance man/bouncer who helped with some unruly guests as well as getting all the electricity set up for the vendors
The caterer, Imperial Room, for coming off site to the hotel and making a wonderful lunch for all of our participants, volunteers and vendors.
Munchie1976 (Melissa Messier) for the countless hours of gathering information to contact potential vendors, your work on the website as well as Facebook, Google+ and the forums, contacting other clubs, making sign and gift certificates, and for all your help the night before and during the conference. The club work you accomplish is like no other. This whole year has been a huge undertaking on our family and I am nothing but grateful in more then words could describe.
Our treasurer Hans1976 (Jeff Myjak) for helping guide the new Board in preparing for this venture, contacting potential vendors and other clubs, and for all your hard work the night before and during the conference. You are a wonderful asset to this club and your presence will be truly missed next year.
Rwinfrey (Bob Winfrey) for his countless hours of working with all the sponsors and donations. Without Bob, the raffle wouldn’t have been anywhere near the size and value that it was. Thank you for storing nearly EVERYTHING at your home, and for bringing it all to the hotel and setting up with us the night before. You are the astounding silent weapon for CTARS that gets things done and gets them done above and beyond anything anyone could ever imagine! It is no surprise that you were picked up by MASNA.
Our amazing speakers for the day, James Fatherree, Lou Ekus, Justin Credabel & John Coppolino. We thank each one of you for such memorable presentations! You each presented your information in a way that everyone could understand and enjoy. A HUGE, HUGE thank you to each of your for your valuable experience yesterday! We hope you’ll all come back soon!
And last but not least, Red Sea!
Your contribution and generosity to CTARS was impeccable! Words cannot describe how much we appreciate everything you did for this year’s CMAC!!!
Peter, as one of our original CTARS members, we genuinely hope that you will continue to be a part of our club in the future!!!
