he annual awards party, or Awards Gala as we like to call it, is a huge team effort that starts back in August. I have chaired the committee for this party 7 times and every year our team gets a little bigger. We had a record this year with a committee of 14.

fter putting a team together, the first stage is to find a venue. This needs to be found several months in advance, as places in NYC book up early. The past 3 years we have worked with a loft and a caterer. In years past we booked with a restaurant directly.

fter these details are sorted out, the team focuses on the invitations, which have to be created, printed and assembled. This is the only Flyer event in which we actually mail out an invitation to all members: 650+ people!

he team also focuses on a multitude of details: Programs for the event, the slideshow and Year-in -Pictures, A/V equipment, nametags, DJ, payments, decorations etc.

e started the raffle at the party last year, headed up largely by Deb Meyer and Janet Hansen. This has been a great addition to the party and a lot of work goes into collecting donations from different running-related vendors for prizes. The party is heavily subsidized by the club which allows us to keep costs low for members. The raffle helps to offset some of the costs of this subsidy so that more funds are available for other club activities.

his year we had a lot of challenges. Loft Eleven where we had the party last year closed, so we had to find a new loft within our budget. We also had less money to work with due to the 20th Anniversary Party back in September which was also subsidized by the club. Many members of the team 'donate' items to the party such as the programs this year which were created and printed for free by Paul and Cassie Nelson. Also, the raffle tickets and gift bags were donated by Deb Meyer and Janet Hansen. I've donated the flowers the past 2 years, and some of the decorations were donated as well by Heather Marcellis and Lisa Decker.

hen the time comes for the big dinner, the Awards Committee (consisting of team captains, and members of the executive and advisory boards) and the computer folks (the Year-in-Pictures team and the web team) have their results ready and it's all integrated into the program for the evening. This year, as we have come to expect, they did a terrific job.

his is the first time I asked for a co-chair for this event and Donna Rosato stepped up to the plate. There is so much to do, that this committee really needs 2 chair people. Donna did a fantastic job staying on top of details and helping out. I always breathe a sigh of relief after the awards ceremony ends and the dancing starts. At this point, the committee can relax and enjoy the party with everyone else. Things always seem to come together in the end, and I think most people had a great time. The team deserves a lot of kudos for all their hard work, creativity, and their donations -- and doing it all within a limited budget.
hank you, one and all!