Bloomington Gold #30
Pheasant Run Resort; St. Charles, IL
June 13-16, 2002
This was our 5th year at Bloomington Gold, and I guess it is therefore the official start of the 5th year for the Corvettes Conquer Cancer Tour. Bloomington in 1998 was the first national Corvette event for Sandy and me as we tested the waters on the national scene. Bloomington set the "Gold Standard" for others to follow in hospitality and VIP status.
The new facility, Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, is a vast improvement over the previous location in Bloomington: All manicured grass or pavement, with no mud or dust!
We were able to send the American Cancer Society's Kane County, IL Unit
$422.00
Wednesday, June 12
Leaving home in torrential rain.
Leaving Gary's house.
It rained most of the trip to Illinois.
Thursday, June 13
Onward from overnight in North Ridgeville, OH.
Friday, June 14
Our parking place for the weekend: the Race Car/VIP area.
Co-pilot & bodyguard, Gary, at our booth in the Lobby.
Featured in the Bloomington Gold's program, the Gold Standard
Being right inside this main entrance didn't hurt a bit during Friday's
intermittent showers: Each new shower would bring in a fresh crowd!
Friday's National Corvette Museum dinner @ Francesca's.
Saturday, June 15
Adrienne Dumas, 17, of St. Charles, IL is the Grand Prize Winner of the Bloomington Gold Kids Art & Essay competition. This is the first time the Grand Prize was awarded for an essay. Adrienne was treated to a VIP trip to Bowling Green for a private tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant and the National Corvette Museum. She also received the use of a new Corvette Convertible to usefor the drive back from Bowling Green to St. Charles, IL, and for use during the Bloomington Gold weekend. At Bloomington Gold, however, she preferred to use HER OWN '71! She bought the Corvette herself last year after saving up for it for 5 years!
The Special Collection
The white '61 is an original German export car. The blue '54 is just like the first Corvette I ever saw in person (and got a ride in!)
- at age 12, in 1954.
Saturday evening: The Road Tour
A few of the estimated 1200 Vettes waiting for the start of the 42 mile tour through the IL countryside. The weather couldn't have been much better!
The VIP cars got to line up first.
After the DARE Corvettes, we were # 3, behind Adrienne and her sponsor.
Gary & Corvette Powertrain Engineer Bill Nichols discuss
some C5 fine points as we wait for the start.
We're off!
Typical cheering sections along the route.
Vettes in the mirror as far as you can see!
The parking lot after dinner at Bud's.
Sunday, June 16
The weather was even better on Sunday.
The judging field can be seen out on the golf course, on the left in the distance.
The Cardboard Corvette
Created by David Rusthoven, 14, of New Lenox, IL
Retired Corvette Chief Engineer Dave McLellan autographs the hood
and poses for photos with Dave and his Mom. By the way,
Dave was also a runner-up in the Essay competition!
Packing up
Now that it's over, all this stuff has to go back in the car.
It does, and we can still see out the back!
The stats as we leave Bloomington.
Monday, June 17
Leaving North Ridgeville, OH.
Home again. The final stats.
Thank you Bloomington Gold for sponsoring and hosting
Corvettes Conquer Cancer once again!