Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:10:42 -0400
Reply-To: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: West River Westies Event Wrap Up 2023
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Hi folks,
Here is the wrap up from the 2023 VW bus Campout event my wife and I host. I thought folks might enjoy the read.
There were a few list members there, many of the quiet ones. Also a few rock stars such as Frank Condelli.
West River Westies 2023 Wrap Up
Something magical happens when we gather together at West River Westies. We become so much more when we share our friendship, kindness, stories, music, and buses. This group knows how to do that. And, many of you have shared the importance of the community we have created together.
At the time of this writing our beloved campground is in the path of flood waters. We send our warmest wishes that all are safe and the magical location is preserved.
Our warmest thanks to Abby, Kate, Becky, and the folks at Bald Mountain Campground.
People love to know the numbers from our campout event sign in. So we have done the data mining for 2023.
Here are the results:
Total participant vehicles- 110
Eurovans- 6
Vanagons- 63
Bays- 22
Splitties- 11
Others- 8
Some of these have buses at home under care and will be returning next year.
New participant buses 17
Lost in the River 0- but with the high water we were actually concerned!
Where were people from?
MA 30
VT 19
NH 16
CT 10
NY 8
ME 7
NJ 4
RI 3
PA 2
TX 1
VA 1
And, this is a international event!
Canada 8
Number of people registered 189
These are as official as we can get as there are always folks that somehow never make it to the welcome table. We know they are there because names come up during the event, but we can’t count them unless they sign in.
People love to know the event wrap up numbers, so tell those folks how fun it is at the welcome bus. If that doesn’t work tell them we give out a free raffle ticket with goodies, if that still doesn’t work bring us their keys and they only get them back when they stop in!
How much did we raise in the raffle for Grace cottage?
I’ll tell you but first…
If you brought a Raffle donation thank you so much. It is the participant donations that make this Raffle so special.
Thanks to our amazing event sponsors that donated items and gift certificates. See list at the end.
Jimmy D was the Masterful Master of Ceremonies.
Thanks to the Welcome area volunteers and Heidi for the organization and set up and to everyone that purchased tickets resulting in a very special 2023 WRW Donation to Grace Cottage Critical Access hospital.
Irena, a drum roll please…
We raised $2023 this year…
$2023.00. I’m not even making that up. It really worked out that way! Ok, we tossed in one extra buck to get the magic number but isn’t that awesome? $2023.00 for year 2023.
Total cumulative Donations as of this 20th anniversary are $21,573
This is a VW campout with a kind history of caring and giving.
We can’t thank everyone but here are a few we need to mention. Thank you to…
Nyssa for the T-shirt art
Jimmy D for Master of Ceremony
Tom B for Social Media and much more
Alex for doing a large amount of tube runs
Thanks to all that shared your buses and driving for tubers. So many of you stepped up.
Is it true?
That the hosts warned everyone to have their spare ready due to road concerns, and the only flat was the Director of Mischief? BUT that wasn’t even from the construction zone.
That no one came in on a flat bed, and all departed under their own power?
That it took longer on Saturday to drive to the covered bridge then to float back to the campground?
That Heidi recommended Eric not do a Saturday tube run down the raging river, but the Director of Mischief, Barbra Walser, and Terri Berna, talked him into it?
That we had so many young families that they started gathering in their own section?
That we watched live from the welcome table as a participant’s 77 Bay new bus was dropped off at her house?
That the FB WRW group grew by over 100 people mostly in the past month?
Please share your special moments with us by email and or on the West River Westies FB group.
Contact info:
Your West River Westies Hosts
Eric Caron and Heidi Fischer
Eric’s cell 802 430 4413
Eric’s email Eric.caron@icloud.com
Direct West River Westies questions to Eric
Location: Bald Mountain Campground
1760 State Forest Road
Townshend VT, 05353
Email: info@baldmountaincampground.com
Phone: (802) 365 7510
2023 Sponsors
Black Bear Folk Festival, with VIP VW bus camping
Bus Depot
Busware, VW truck tilts and more
Dennis VW Service, Dennis Haynes
Greenvest, Socially Responsible Investing
Go Westy, VW Parts
Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters 74 Main ST Brattleboro vT
SewFine, Custom VW Interiors
Timothy Risk, Vanagon Washer bottle cradle
Uniwerks , 3-D VW products
Vanagain, VW Parts
VanAlert, VW Bus Travel Support & Alert app
Wolfsburg West , Air-cooled VW parts
