Hey Guys,
I am not trying to hi-jack this thread, just put in a little info. I am so glad that you enjoyed the show. When I think of our beginnings, two guys, Tom S and Keith F, wishing for a Firebird only event in the Albany-Saratoga area, and making it happen. The original idea was hatched at the Adirondack Nationals on a field with 2000 cars including hot-rods, Mudstains, Mopars, etc, etc, etc. I will have the final stats in a few days, but for sure, it was a new official record number of cars at 157 total Firebirds. Last year the number was 139, so in this economy, I could not be happier! I am still smiling so much my face hurts.
Everyone was very generous with their purchases and Special Olympics was the big winner. I do not have the final financials, but should have the final numbers in a few more days. (We need to do more than just count money. We need to deduct cost of ice, hot dogs, buns, t-shirts, etc, etc, etc)
Our pledge to you: provide the best possible show in quantity and quality while operating as a fund-raiser, not a fund spender. All money goes to Special Olympics. We have no budget.
As show founder and organizer, I could not do this without my most competent all volunteer staff for which I am so grateful:
First of all, I rely so heavily on my wife, Trailer Queen Sandy Smith. She gets the insurance policy for the show. No insurance, no show. Then she gets the NYS Health Department food permit, she works with Special Olympics New York and Special Olympics Saratoga to get the fundraising permit. Sandy begs for (and receives) local donations, goes and picks up those donations, makes copies of the registration forms, judging sheets, show guidelines, show flyers, club applications, etc. She orders the show t-shirts and runs the errands. She buys the hot dogs, buns, soda, water, etc. At the show, she does an outstanding job managing the registration trailer and getting 157 Firebirds through registration in very little time.
I also rely heavily on my main show advisors, Keith F (Blue81) and Eddie B (you know his car, the crazy goldzilla 86 TA) for their ideas before, during and after the show. I tend to be a wild and crazy guy. These guys help keep me in line. From field layout and parking, show car classes, and judging guidelines, and more, I rely heavily on these two guys as my main guys. Throw in Eddie’s excellent registration trailer, and you see my point. These guys are also my very good friends.
At the show, FNONA, Inc. VP Joe Carey, what can I say? The best! He can take a disaster and turn it into an award winning event. I guess that is the PD training. Everyone needs a savior; he has been my savior more than once.
Next comes all the other staff from FNONA, Inc. and Special Olympics Saratoga. This group consists of the trailer queens, the food staff, the parking staff, and the judging staff. Each year the show gets bigger and each year I ask the staff to perform faster, harder, longer, and each year they do an outstanding job! They are so important to our success.
Your show DeeJay, DJ Nolan, Special Olympics athlete bowler and golfer, kept you tapping your toes and humming tunes. At some point when we have 735 Firebirds on the field, we may need a pro but until then, athlete DJ Nolan is our man!
Our athletes out on the field, having fun with regular people and wonderful cars, passing out awards and feeling great about doing it! What can I say, I am lost for words.
At this time, no changes are planned for the show location or official show hotel.
As long as the park service 'allows' us to be there
, we will not change for 2010. My favorite saying, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it! The big change for 2010 will be the Cruise location. We will keep the most excellent SSPD ‘Police Protection’ but we will move the destination a larger place that is better able to accommodate us with paved entrance and paved parking.
As our show gets bigger and bigger, our staffed get more strained. In order to support a show of 200+ Birds, we need more volunteer staff. More parkers, more qualified judges. It is important that our judges know their stuff. That is one of the ways that we provide a quality show. We do not want a 200 car show with a 100 car staff.
Speaking of the Cruise:
Our FNONA, Inc. VP Joe Carey is also President of the SSPD PBA. He has suggested that we use the SSPD PBA Hall and Grove as the Cruise destination next year. The total trip would be about the same distance as previous cruises, and the route would be almost the same, but the driveway going in is all paved (no stones) and the parking lot is all paved. Plus we would have a large indoor hall capable of seating a large Firebird group. Beyond the paved lot, is a large grassy field about the same size as the show field, so if we do something stupid crazy like have 100-150 Firebird Cruise, we could accommodate that too!
The point is if it is sunny, we hang in the grove. If threat of rain, we hang inside under shelter.
The only detail is to figure is how we feed everyone and how we pay for it. A few thoughts come to mind. One club member suggested we order 24 cut pizzas and bottles of soda when we leave the Museum. That way, the pizzas arrive shortly after we get all the Birds nested. We take up a collection before the Cruise, and pay when we get there.
Another suggestion was that we get a few club members to go early to the PBA hall. When the cruise leaves the Museum, we call the PBA hall and tell the grill folks to get the food started. We could do burgers and dogs, chips, and soda (pop).
IMO, if the cruise takes the second direction, we have to take reservations for the cruise and pay in advance. Someone collects the money in a PayPal account. That account covers cost of food and volunteers get it ready. Maybe some non-car 'better-halfs' could get it ready? In great weather, the cruise is a big success, everyone comes and is happy, nobody looses. If rain, nobody comes, the club or the organizer looses if we have to buy hot dogs, burgers, soda, etc. well in advance and we wind up giving everything to the local soup kitchen.
So please, give me some ideas. Although I am a local (Saratoga), I would hang with everyone else. I love circling the trailers on Friday night (mine will not be there, it is full of everything for the show) and hanging with the crew. Lets brain storm and get this going.
Thanks again for coming to the 7th Annual All Firebird Lawn Show.
Warm and best wishes,
Tom Smith in Saratoga Springs NY
Show Founder and Organizer.
