Drenched Fur III - Third time's a charm

by Gary Snyder

Who knew that Drenched Fur would make it this far? Looking back on the previous two years and the work we put into making this run and its legacy, it reminds us of the old ad slogan "You've come a long way baby." From the humble beginning where we wished for maybe 20 guys who would like to get together, to this year's record breaking registrant numbers (120+), it just keeps getting better each year.

Drenched Fur weekend kicked off with a social meet `n greet function at the host facility for the majority of the run, The Avalon Hotel and Conference Center, after which folks enjoyed the provided shuttle service to bar crawl between Trance Dance Club and The Zone Dance Club.

Run attendees remarked their pleasure at the warm reception they received at both stops and many thanks are given in appreciation for their participation and assistance with the run. After the bar crawl, folks enjoyed the first of two late night after hours parties at the hotel and then found themselves blurry eyed on Saturday morning at the included continental breakfast.

As a part of the namesake for the run, the majority of attendees (80+) went to Splash Lagoon where they relished all the water park slides, food and fun provided. This year also included the use of a private room where folks could escape the water park and enjoy a relaxed lunch/lounging atmosphere.

One area where the bear run weekend was modified this year was the addition of an alternate day trip option to head to the Northeast, PA and Western, NY border areas for a winery tour. In fact more than one winery destination was provided along with a lunch stop. This optional activity addition received high marks for enjoyment from those who attended and will be looked into repeating for next year.

Saturday continued on with folks settling in for a night of camaraderie and good times during the evening and night back at the host hotel. Kicking things off was a relaxing cocktail hour followed by a very filling buffet dinner service in the Niagara Ballroom. As folks relaxed from dinner, this year's entertainment was provided by LA Comedian Bobaloo which proved fun and enjoyable. Then it was time to get things moving and grooving with the dance hit sounds provided by guest artist DJ BearCub.

In wrapping up the weekend, Sunday morning included a buffet breakfast service along with a silent auction for charity.

In preparing for this year's run, the committee made the decision to support a new opportunity to recognize the contributions of a past attendee to Drenched Fur. On October 24, 2006, the local bear community in the Great Lakes Region lost a shining star within its ranks. Samuel `Sammy' Schwartz had passed unexpectedly. Sammy was known for having given to others in his charm, fun personality as well as his work at a vocational school, the Buckeye Career Center. Sammy had been their Culinary Arts Instructor for several years.

The committee contacted Sammy's partner, Elijah Black - DFII's entertainer, to ask for his approval to create a memorial scholarship fund for the students at the Buckeye Career Center who were choosing to pursue the occupational field of culinary arts. Elijah was very moved and agreed that this is a great way to remember Sammy and for a legacy to carry on in his name. The Silent Auction was a success and raised over $700 for the memorial scholarship fund.

This year's third installment of Drenched Fur proved to be the best yet and it goes without saying that the businesses, organizations and individuals who assisted, helped make it a success.

I would like to especially thank my committee that worked under me for their contributions. Jack, Peter, Michael, Chris and Nick were invaluable and pivotal in the well deserved thanks and positive feedback we have received from the attendees. Thanks guys for all you have done and I look forward to your assistance with Drenched Fur IV next year, to be held on April 4, 5 & 6 in 2008. We'll see you then!

For more run information, feel free to visit our website at www.drenchedfur.com.