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2003 - 2nd Illini 4x4 Safari
....and a fun time was had by (almost) all!
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The weather wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, either. Did that stop anyone?? Noooo! Thursday
afternoon the lines formed and people were signing up for their favorite (and
perhaps after they ran the trail) not-so-favorite trails. There were
surpises in store for all but when the event was over there were hundreds and
hundreds
of smiling, happy faces! Thanks, all of you, who attended and helped
make this event so much fun! |
| The rodeo is always a hit. The ramp is one of the favorites. No
one even fell off the ramp - although a few were close! |
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The Swamper toss is an idea we stole from the Black Hills 4 Wheelers - thanks
guys! We
were doing fine until an errant Swamper headed down the hill and we were afraid
it was going to go through the side of the unfortunate building that was in
its way. Not to worry, the errant Swamper was retrieved to be thrown
on another day. |
The folks who washed the vehicles have almost as much fun as the drivers
and riders - well - maybe the drivers. This group raised a lot of money
for their church camp and had fun doing it. It was neat to see the
Pittsfield Fire Department also help out by refilling their water tanks. Pittsfield
has a great community spirit.
Why is the mud green?? |
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This was a first! We had a wedding Saturday morning. Jim and
Lisa tied the knot at the courthouse and then went wheeling (sure!) later
that day. Jim, Lisa: Congratulations! We're all really
happy for you! But why does the judge have the biggest smile?? |
This caught a lot of attention on the trail. |
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So Jim and Lisa went on Hamer's Honeymoon trail afterwards. But wait! Where
are they? The don't appear to be in their Jeep! They're not even on
the trail. And Jim said, "But I thought the trail was this way......" You're
a sly one, Jim! |
| Thanks to their efforts and your generosity, Don and Janet Maxheimer raised
over $350 for the Christmas baskets by asking for donations in exchange for
cups of freshly made ice cream. Not only was the ice cream (which was
churned by an antique engine) delicious, their donation of the proceeds will
help to make this coming Christmas very special for some of
the Pike Country residents who are in need. What a great May Christmas
present. Thanks Don and Janet! |
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The Legion hall was filled to capacity!
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| Tom's off-road drawings are very popular. Each year we auction off
a few of these excellent drawings. |
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Saturday, there were a number of awards given out. Some people even
willingly accepted! |
| The highlight of the evening was the people on left side of the Legion
hall bidding against the people on the right side of the Legion hall for
the privilege
of owning
40 pounds of manure. Now this was NOT compost or artificial - this
was 40 pounds of REAL, smelly, manure. This bidding was was great! $410
was collected for the Christmas Basket Program. Each Christmas, TRJC
takes food to those in need. There are seldom dry eyes when the food
is delivered - both from the members who take the food as well as the recipients. This
is what life is all about - taking time out from our fun to help people in
need. This was outstanding! Thanks all! |
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Our trail guides will do anything to ensure we have a good time. They
will even hold a vehicle in place so it doesn't "fall over." Of
course, one could ask who was spotting when this "incident" ocurred! |
| Here's someone on LSD --- Lake Shore Drive. Nice job trimming the
flares! |
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Passengers just LOVE our trails. |
Trail fixes are fun when the ground is wet and muddy. |
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And this has to be the bumper sticker of the event! |
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Want more photos? Well just scroll right on down. There's
a lot more where these came from. Thanks to all who sent the
photos in for this event! |
We'd like to thank our volunteers who worked so hard
to make this happen, our sponsors, the city and county officials who welcomed
us so graciously, but most of all a big thank you to all the participants
for their
good attitude and willingness to have fun. |
Due the hard work, generosity,
and dedication of many, the 2003 Illini 4X4 Safari was a huge success.
As a first time chairman of the event, I was impressed with the number
of people who volunteered their time to make this event one of the best
in the country. The enthusiasm of the participants speaks volumes about
the event and how it is received. We can be proud that the Two Rivers
Jeep Club generated over $4,000 for two charities during the Safari and
with the money paid to the Legion, this year so far we have given over
$20,000 for charity.
To those who helped in any manner,
I thank you on behalf of the club and the community. From planning to
cleanup, club members, and others, played a vital role in the success
of the Safari. This is a fine organization, and it is people like you
who make that possible.
Walt
Gilbert
2003 Safari Chairman |
Here
are some emails we've been starting to receive. Send
us an email about your experiences at the Safari to trjc@trjc.com and
and we'll publish it here! |
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I
had to e-mail you to tell the Club we had a terrific time at the Safari!
The trail on Friday, Black Oak, was almost beyond my capability, but
we survived.
On Saturday my wife, Debbie, drove all day on Ridge Rambler and really enjoyed
it. While we can't make the August event, we will try to be at the next Safari.
By the way, thanks for the winch I won on Saturday Night!
Sincerely
Debbie & Norm
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First of all I want
to thank all the trail guides for the wonderful job done this past weekend.
They took the time to keep you informed on the trail. Safety was one of
the main concerns. I had a wonderful time 4-wheeling but what really made
it was all the great people we met on the trail. I'm looking forward forward
to the upcoming events.
I can't remember when
I smiled so much! The trails were great and the ratings were right on.
I have already sent in for my new membership for TRJC and am looking forward
to becoming a member very soon. Once again, thanks for the great trails,
time of my life, and to all the great people I met on the trail. I hope
to see you next time.
Rich, Tonka Tough |
The Safari was great
! We did County Line & Lake Shore, Trails were fun, trail leaders were
very friendly & helpful. Thanks to all of the volunteers for making
a fun time for all
Bill & Jackie |
