Walk Through the Village is OVER!!!!!!!!

Thursday started early with the maintenance crew getting started with totally power washing all the patio, fencing and outside of the buildings before cleaning the pool. Around 10:00 the cleaning crew came (not sure why they were so late) and started on the inside of the clubhouse, craft room and fitness center. Both crews finished up around 5pm and they were whipped.

Friday started early with the sign crew out placing the signs along the roads leading to our park than placing the parking/trolley signs inside our park. The tent crew came and set up and staked all the tents and luckily we purchased the extra tie downs as it was a little windy. The canoe’s, kayas, ATVs were brought over and placed where the visitors will be able to see them. The picnic tables were brought over from the RV Park next door (sister park) and placed under each tent and coolers were put in place at each tent filled with bottles of water. Each tent will also have a greeter there to help or answer any questions. The parking crew was set to greet the first vehicle and direct them where to park and the golf carts ready to bring them up to the front door.

Tables were set up just inside the entrance door of the clubhouse for the greeters to hand out the maps of the park along with the card for the raffle ticket. Slide show set up on the large TV in the living room area showing events coach houses in the park and the raffle bowl along with “The Winners” sign set up on the kitchen bar. Just outside on the patio the chili was started in the roasters, tables set up with three crock pots to serve from along with the chips/spoons/napkins/onions and cheese.  Popcorn machine rolled out ready for that first batch.  Helpers all showed up and were at their locations when the first visitor arrived 30 minutes early. Did I mention that the retirees here all seem to think they have to come at least a half hour before the actual start time?

Once the visitors were finished with their tour of the complex they were directed to the first trolley stop where six and four passenger golf carts were waiting to take them out to Phase 2, then they could work their way to another trolley stop to be picked up and moved to another area of the park. Eventually they would end up back to the parking area or clubhouse.

I thought some of you would be interested in some of the things we needed to purchase for this event so here goes.

30 lbs of chili, 300 bags of Frito’s, 5lbs of onions, 10 lbs of cheese, box of 600 spoons, 500 napkins, 400 bottles of water, along with raffle tickets, prints of map of the park with all the trolley stops in green and open houses in yellow, 10x10 canopy tents (4) extra stakes, sales brochures and new centerpieces for the dining room tables. And the most important thing was the 29 volunteers who helped in being greeters, food servers, and golf cart drivers. At about half way thru the event we had additional volunteers scheduled to come up and relieve anyone who would like to leave.

Finally 4pm came and everyone was pretty tired but we still had the cleanup to do and put things back where they were. But again the volunteers finished this up in no time and we were done. Donna/Grant, Bill and us decided we all needed a good meal and stronger drink than water so we headed over to a steak house and enjoyed a good food, some laughs and a very good drink.

I have to finish up the paper work that I’ve been keeping for the people that do this next year. One of the challenges on doing this is there wasn’t any notes on pass events so we pretty much started blind on this. But trusts me the next committee that does this will probably have more information than they want.

Even with all that was going on we didn’t forget our little Pepper. Made arrangements with a friend to let her have a play date with their dog so she got to spend time with them and go to the puppy park.

We had great feedback from people and after counting the raffle tickets and what maps were left we figured there were about 225 visitors. The Frito Pies really went over and lots of compliments on how things were set up.  So hopefully the sales team will get some sales out of all this and the residents who have their lots up for sale will get a bite. Afraid I don't have the pictures from the photograher yet to share but I should have then soon and will post them.

In the mean time I have one more event coming up on Thursday, that’s the Wine N Cheese N Artist night. More on that next week but after that we’re DONE with activities. We’ll just attend them and enjoy it.

Till next time…………………………………………….