2009 AFF Christmas Party & Fundraiser
by Rob Burlingame, AFF President
The end of the year is already upon us. Traditionally, the Alamo Fly Fishers gather for a Christmas Party to share food and fellowship, and celebrate the events of the past year. We get together to share memories and stories from the year, and prepare for activities of the coming year. It is a time for celebration, and it is a time for planning. The Christmas Party will also mean officer elections, and a change in club leadership that will start in January. We will sell raffle tickets and have some silent auction items for bidding to raise money for next year’s operating budgets. The party is a fun evening, and the whole family is invited. We will be continuing last year's exciting addition of door prizes and possibly a wonderful “grand” door prize! Make sure you are there to see what it is!
This year the AFF Christmas Party will be in the same spot as last year, in a large banquet room at Alamo Cafe Restaurant on Sunday evening December 13th. Alamo Cafe is located at 14250 U.S Highway 281 North. A social gathering for appetizers will begin at 6:00pm, and dinner is planned for 7:00pm. Dinner costs will be $15 per person, and everyone will have their choice of dinner plates from a special select menu. Soft drinks, tea, and coffee are also included. Other adult beverages will be available from the restaurant cash bar. Our party will occupy the combined Travis and Bowie banquet rooms at Alamo Café, and should provide plenty of space for all of the activities. We will have the projector and screen set up to show pictures of events and outings from the year. That should bring back some great memories, and get us thinking about outings for the upcoming year. If you have pictures from this year that you would like to share with us, please e-mail or call me (robburlingame@yahoo.com, cell 210.885.3730) or Todd Fleming (tfleming@bartlett-cocke.com, home 210.479.3062). We will also have some tables set up for raffle prizes and silent auction items. Raffle tickets are $5 per each or five tickets for $20. Dinner and raffle tickets can be purchased at the party. Please join us for an evening of food, fun, and fundraising. If you need a ride to the party, please call me on my cell at 210-885-3730 and I will be glad to coordinate drivers and riders.
DIRECTIONS TO ALAMO CAFE ARE BELOW (CLICK ON MAP FOR LARGER VERSION):
From the South along Loop 410
- From Loop 410, take US Highway 281 North exit
- Once you are on US Highway 281, exit Bitters Road (should be your first exit)
- Alamo Cafe will be on the access road of US Highway 281 North, a couple blocks past Bitters (about 1/2 mile) on the right
From the north along Loop 1604
- From Loop 1604, take US Highway 281 South exit
- Once you are on US Highway 281, exit Bitters Road (about 2 1/2 miles) and take the turn around
- Alamo Cafe will be on the access road of US Highway 281 North, a couple blocks past Bitters (about 1/2 mile) on the right
The fly fishing community has been very supportive of our activities throughout the years, and this year is no exception. When we started calling on individuals and businesses for donations for our end of the year fundraiser, we received an outpouring of generous support. Despite the pinch I am sure most have been feeling from the slowed economy, they have been generous as always to help with donated items and services for prizes and fundraisers. In many cases we were given more and grander items than we asked for. The Alamo Fly Fishers are blessed to have so many friends and supporters of our club. Their support allows us to provide education, service, and conservation projects throughout the year. They provide the resources to keep our club energized to learn more about fly fishing and fly tying. I encourage you to do business with these folks, and tell them “thank you for supporting the Alamo Fly Fishers”. As a side note, we are still looking for a few additions to make this year’s raffle and silent auction the best ever! If any of you have some new or gently used items that you would like to donate, please give me a call!
A sincere "Thank You" to all of the wonderful friends and sponsors that have made generous donations to make this year's event possible! . I hope to see you at the party. We have lots of nice prizes! Have a safe holiday season, and I look forward to another great year in 2010!