LOE 2012 - Write Up
Weather was cold and windy on Friday but warmed up some on Saturday and winds calmed down a little. Very low turnout on Friday, about 10 RV?s. Social Hour beer and wine provided by Richard and Steve Fowler of America?s Engines and served by Casey O?Connor (wife of Lucille?s Roadhouse Manager, Justin O?Connor who provided $6.99 free appetizer coupons to one and all to use at Lucille?s Roadhouse).
Social hour ended 4 hours later and most people retired to Lucille?s Roadhouse and could not eat all the food with all the free appetizers.
Saturday turned out to be a great day to visit and Lucille?s Roadhouse supplied lunch out of their lunch wagon with either burgers or brats, a drink and chips for $5.00 with ALL proceeds, not just profits, donated to the charity. Senator Jim Inhofe spoke after lunch to a small crowd. Mostly about politics but a little about the Pilots Bill of Rights he sponsored in the US Senate.
Happy hour started early on Saturday (earlier for some more than others who went down to watch Texas Tech be embarrassed by Kansas State) and continued through dinner. Russ and Ann Daves having attended every LOE event except one since the year 2000 and the majority of the crowd felt that the food this year was the best ever!!! BBQ on one serving line, Shrimp Cajun Food and Gumbo on another serving line. Seconds were had by many!!
After a prayer the running of the Russ?s took place tossing out ball caps donated by Lightspeed Headsets and GLO Custom Painting. Followed by a long list of thanks given to all the people both from the airport as well as those who just pitched in and made the event special.
Over $17,000.00 in raffle prizes were donated with the drawing done by a couple of cute 6 year old girls. 49 Raffle Items were awarded. Because of the small turnout, 17 RV?s, 1 Long Eze, and 1 C-182 on the flight line for the Raffle there were a lot of multiple winners.
The Raffle sales raised $4,560.00 for the Charity, plus the following:
$260.00 Cash Donation from Lunch Sales by Lucille?s Roadhouse and $240.00 individual cash donation from Justin ?O?Connor Manager of Lucille?s Roadhouse and wife Casey O?Connor.
$100.00 Cash donation by Doug Reeves; $100.00 from re-sale of one raffle prize; and $300.00 from Auction of one raffle Prize.
Russ Kamtz raised over $4,000.00 in Cash Donations from various businesses and individuals prior to the event in Colorado by holding a golf tournament and getting a Christian Charity Foundation to match the funds raised at the golf tournament along with just talking up the LOE Charity Fly-In event to individuals and small businesses who put money in the pot. Such $4,000.00 was NOT for purchase of raffle tickets just straight donations. Way to go, Russ Kamtz!!! You de man!!!
Barbara Jones, Director of the FOOD 4 KIDS program in Weatherford thanked everyone for their generosity and the $9,560.00 and reminded the crowd that last year Russ Daves challenged her to expend the FOOD 4 KIDS program at the Elementary School on to the Middle School as well, which because of the donations received from the LOE Fly-In she was able to do this year.
Naturally the diehards retired to Brahm?s for ice cream after the raffle. Women reported that the shopping was great in downtown. The airport staff did a fantastic job with everything on the premises to make the event top-notch!
An executive decision was made to set the date for next year on September 27-29, 2013 with a rain date of October 4-6, 2013, again at Weatherford Airport (KOJA). So, put this on your calendar now! Mark it on your calendar. Russ Daves and Russ Kamtz agreed to Co-Chair the event another year.