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2003 - 5th Annual 4x4 BLAST

The 5th Annual 4x4 BLAST is now history but will be remembered for quite sometime. The weather was good (and hot!), the trails were great and the attendees were the best bunch ever! While we come to wheel, we have a strong sense of responsibility to the community.  For example, this weekend, we gave almost $28,000 directly back to the community!


Tech Inspection

Registration

Shirts

And more shirts and goodies
Over 450 people attended with over 215 vehicles. We even had folks travel from as far as New Hampshire to attend this event. Trail lineups were better than ever – 215 vehicles left for the trails in less than 10 minutes each day. A new trail, Smacker, was introduced and provided much entertainment (as did some of the drivers.)

Swamper toss

Morning Line-Up

Driver's Safety Meeting
The raffles and auctions were most impressive. Almost $5100 was received from the raffle and auctions due to the generosity of the attendees. A check was presented to Pikeland Unit 10 School District for $5000 to cover programs that had been cancelled as a result of budget cuts. Just think of the impact this will have on many of the students!
In addition $841 was collected for the Christmas Food Basket program and with the matching TRJC funds, the program will have almost $1700 to help needy senior citizens with food this Christmas. Thanks to the Maxheimer’s who made home-made ice cream and to the participants who contributed to a special “donation” to ensure that the ice cream fund at this event would being more money than the amount paid for a bag of manure at the last event. (The ice cream brought in over $400 more than the bag of manure!) We had a great time with that one!

What a better way to say ”Thank you” to the community that welcomes us and our hobby. The American Legion provided the meeting place and food. The $13,000 they received for these services is also funneled back into local charities after expenses. This is in additional to the monies we all spent spent for food, lodging, fuel and repairs.

In addition to all this, the TRJC Board voted during the BLAST to donate the following:

$692.00 to the Pike County Farm Safety for Kids Program
$500.00 to the Quanada Home for abused women and children
$500.00 to the Pike County Lions Club
$500.00 to the Pittsfield Chapter of the American Red Cross
$500.00 to a new group this year called Pike County UNMET Needs, a group that assists families in crisis who have exhausted all other avenues of assistance
$300.00 will go to each of the volunteer fire departments of

Baylis
Berry
Griggsville
Hull-Kinderhook
Milton
Nebo
Springbrook
Perry
Pleasant Hill
Pittsfield

These additional donations total over $8,000. This means that this weekend our club gave almost $28,000 directly back to the community that so willingly shares their land with us.

Thanks to all who worked so hard to make this event happen, but thanks especially to all those who attended the event and gave so generously to help keep the Pike and Brown County areas the best 4-wheeling in the Midwest.

Photos and articles are coming in each day and can be accessed here.  This year there aren't as many photos and we've received no stories yet.  Please, write up something and submit it, we'd like to put it on the web page and in the newsletter.  Click HERE for more write ups and photos of the 2003 BLAST.

Videos and DVDs of the 2003 BLAST and Safari are now available.

2003 4x4 BLAST VHS tapes or DVD - $20

Send check or money order with your mailing address to:

T J Kinney
727 N. Carolina Ave.
Decatur IL 62522

(217) 422-9801

  

2003 BLAST Photos and Stories
Photos only
Stories

The following were sponsors of this year's BLAST. Please thank them for their donations and patronize their businesses whenever possible.

Thanks for the responses - almost 100 sponsors!!!

4 Plus
Advance Adapters
Advanced Air Systems
Al West Chrysler
ARB
Aston Enterprise (TN)
Avalanche Engineering
Ayerco
Beard Seats
Best Systems Car Wash
Best Top
Bill Jacobs of Joliet
Black Diamond
Blue Bell Club
Borgeson Universal
Brickyard Grill
Cabela's Catalog
California Duster
Carl's Cardinal Inn Café
Classic Tube
Collins Bros. Jeep
Corner Pantry
Daystar Products
Extreme Outback Products
Farm & Home Supply
Fuzzy's Gunsmith
G.D.S. 4x4 Drivetrain
Giovanni's Pizza
Green Acres Motel
Griot's Garage
Hardee's
 		Harold Motors
Heckethorn Products
High Impact
High Spirits Liquor Store
Hi-Lift Jack
Hopewell Views and Hunting Club and Lodge
Husky Liners
Ice House Inn
Illinois Four Wheel Drive Assn.
Indy Jeepers
James Duff
JC Whitney
Jeep Box
Jeg's
JKS Nebraska
K & N Replacement Filter
Klune Industries
Landmark Chrysler Jeep
Leatherman
Mancari’s of Orland, Inc.
M.O.R.E.
Map Gear
Mastercraft Race Products
Matkins Extreme Jeep Frames
Mile Marker
Motel Pike
MSD Ignition
NAPA Auto Parts
Neal Tire - Pittsfield
Oasis Off Road
 O-R Fab
Painless Performance
Pike County Chamber of Commerce
Pine Lakes Resort
Pittsfield Tire & Auto
Pizza Hut
Premier Power Welder
ProCar Seats
Pull Pal
Rancho
Randy's Ring and Pinion
Red Dome Inn
Rockport Off Road Park
Rocky Mountain Suspension
Rubicon by Mastercraft
Rubicon Express
Save-A-Lot
Shell Valley
SkyJacker Suspension LA
Summit Racing
Superlift Suspensions
Swagman Publishing Co
Tim Miller
TJ Video
Tomken, Colorado
Toumbs Repair
Tuffy Security Products
Warn
West Texas Off Road
Wisconsin Off Road

 
Created: 08/04/2003
Page Owner: Dave