Posted on 09/06/2006 2:58:00 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
The Fresno/Central Valley Chapter cordially invites all FReepers and Lurkers in good standing to attend our 5th Annual Free Republic Rally and Tailgate Picnic (and FR's 10th Anniversary celebration) to be held on September 8th and 9th, 2006.
Our rally will begin at 5:00 pm and end at 8:30 pm Friday night, at the corner of Blackstone and Shaw in Fresno. Afterwards, the group will retire for dinner, refreshments and good fellowship at a nearby restaurant (time and place to be announced).
Special note: About 150 members of the Youth Group of the Riverdale Assembly of God will be attending our rally. Some of them will be arriving between 5:00 and 5:30 and the rest after 6:00 pm. They may also be bringing their sound truck to use as a stage. Those of you who were with us a couple years ago when they did this will remember what a thrill it was to have this group join us. This rally promises to be a huge patriotic success. You won't want to miss it!
Our tailgate pot-luck picnic will be at Woodward Park on Saturday, September 9th. We've reserved the "Gazebo" area for the full day. We'll probably start arriving about 1:00 pm and will dine and party till dark.
The entrance to Woodward Park is on Audubon Drive, just off Freeway 41 (Friant Road Exit) on the northern edge of Fresno. The Gazebo area is near the center of the park (see park map).
Bring your flags, banners, signs, family and children. Prepare to support your country and enjoy the company of your good FReeper friends!
Last years: Tailgate Thread
Note from Mama_Bear:
Not only will this years picnic attendees chow down on the best tri-tip EVER, expertly prepared by FReeper jkphoto, they will also enjoy a fun afternoon socializing with a great bunch of Americans, AND they will receive this collector's item, - their very own, one of a kind, limited edition, name badge commemorating the 5th Annual FreeRepublic Tailgate Picnic and Rally AND 10th Anniversary Celebration of this fine website, FreeRepublic.com.
Now, how cool is that?
........
Please RSVP by FReepmail to JustAmy or Mama_Bear today!
Thank you and hope to see you there!
Jim Robinson
(On behalf of the Fresno/Central Valley Chapter)
Thankfully no one took a video of the project. We would never have heard the end of it.
Congrats on keeping old traditions alive.
Remember - "All things in Moderation, including your Excesses!"
Prost Eins!
At dinner the night before at The Olive Garden Chey Robertos they serve everything with the Universal Redneck Utensil:
Heh...Thanks for stopping by.
A couple of years ago I wore my "LOL" shirt to the picnic...
To be a true redneck utensil, it must be rusty and engraved with "Olympia".
It was great meeting you as well Syncro. We had a great time and met a lot of good FRiends.
It's one of my favorite events bar none.
Glad you and "Rally Babe" made it.
:>)
Thnaks for the idea for next year.
Oh I have the video...LOL
Hey that guy with the blue and white checked shirt looks like my hubby from the back!
I think he has 3 wives...which one are you?
JUST kidding...LOL
Hey Jim, just wanted to say hi and let you know that my husband and I will soon be moving to Fresno (well actually Sanger but it's almost the same) from Arizona. We have a house up on Trimmer Springs Road and anticipate moving at the end of 2006. I can't wait to get there. I hope we can do one of these picnics soon. Thank you for all you've done!!!!
Sorry for the late reply. Not yet... I am doing an 8-week tech writing job over here until the house is ready to sell. The countertops get installed on Thursday. One step closer to moving. Oh, and did I tell you we bought a place up on Trimmer Springs Road in Sanger? We are excited!
I noticed the Go Dogs sign in the background. Go Dogs!!
Yeah right EP... no one saw anything :)
How do you know I'm not one of them? :) LOL!
Thanks, Syncro.
It's always 'grate' to get together with so many like-minded folks.
Thanks for the pics!
My camera has a blurr function too. Kicks on automatically sometimes.
When you get to Fresno (Sanger), please don't wait until our next picnic to come out and meet us. We will be standing on the corner the first Friday of every month.
Thank you for the ping Syncro! Great patriotic happy faces in those photos!
Thanks for the grate photos, but most of all, thanks for keeping me out of most of them. :-)
Hi Pal. Great to see you.
I hope you are making plans to come to Fresno next September. :)
Seriously, we would love to have you visit.
Thanks for stopping by our picnic thread. Have a great day.
Thanks much for the ping to this portion of the FR 10th Anniversary pics!
Really good!
Thanks for the great photos . . . and thanks for everything. The picnic was wonderful !!
My SIL in SD, CA, has invited me to come out for my birthday in 2 years. Maybe that would be a good time for me to come out. Your little girl has grown a lot since the last time I saw pictures of her. I still have Marissa's name along with Micheal, Allison, and Christin on my screen.
: )
Thank you for the invitation!
The linked worked on the other thread, but now it just brings up the login page. :-(
Thanks, Lori.
I don't understand why the link doesn't stay active. Grrrr. Here is a copy of the letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soldier will never forget all the grateful ones
(Updated Thursday, September 14, 2006, 5:49 AM)
On the evening of Sept. 8, my wife and I were driving home through the intersection of Shaw and Blackstone avenues. A large group of people, from all races, all ages, were holding signs and waving service flags and the American flag.
It was not a protest of political ideologies; it was not a protest of any type. It was all in support of American service members. I was brought to tears as these common people yelled and screamed "thank you" to me. They had noticed I had my military jacket hanging in the car.
If I'd had the time, I would have gotten out and shaken every one of their hands. The act of these strangers gave me the biggest "thank you" I have received in five years. It was very important to me due to the fact that only hours earlier, I had finalized a full and formal complaint against my employer, for the harassment from my fellow employees based on my Reserve obligations.
"I will never forget their faces," Lewis "Chesty" Puller, USMC, once remarked in his written memoirs. I will never forget these fine people either.
John Allen Essex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are appreciated!!!
Amy, thank you for posting the letter.
How WONderful for that Marine vet, and for all of you who made his day!
Thanks, Doodlelady.
It is great to know that we can make a difference.
Wow Wow Wow,
If that doesn't make it all worth it I don't know what would.
I hope that someone can get a copy of that letter to the Riverdale group. It would make their day also.
I sent email to the young man who coordinated getting the group to Fresno.
You know, it is nice too that he says "A large group of people, from all races, all ages, were holding signs and waving service flags and the American flag. It was not a protest of political ideologies; it was not a protest of any type. It was all in support of American service members",...... because that is so true. We are not any political party, or any certain religious sect, or any particular race.....we are just Americans, proud Americans, united in our desire to thank those who serve the country we love and protect and defend our freedoms with their lives.
I am ashamed and angered that his co-workers would harass him for being in the military reserves. What kind of animals are these? Are they of the same sick mind as those who spit on our returning Vietnam veterans? I just don't understand this. I will never understand it.
I love the flag collage, Lori.
Those kids from Riverdale came well prepared to show their support.
Enterprise suggests we find where the letter writer works and hold a freep there. Sounds good to me. :-)
ESGR (Employee Support Guard/Reserves) should take care of his work issues. Trust me, if he filed a complaint with an ESGR rep, the business will learn "thou shalt not mess with military personnel".
But a good old fashion Freep could also help.
Good! I hope he did.
Thank you for posting the letter to the editor. It's so wonderful!!
His letter made me cry. Thanks for posting the collage of flags, too. God bless America.
Me too!
In case you didn't see Amy's post, be sure to set aside the first Friday in October (the 6th) and come to the rally if you can. The kids from Riverdale Assembly of God Church will be there again. I love it when they come with their signs and flags. They electrify the corner with their energy! Hope to see you and lager there.
Oops, looks like you did forget Syncro and Dr.Zoo....of all people. LOL.
NO Way could I have missed both Syncro and Dr. Zoo!
Someone must have erased their names. :)
For the archives, posting a link to a slideshow of photos that I took at the rally and picnic....
As you all know, I rarely post. I have to repent of that lazy habit. This time, however, I couldn't let this go by without a sincere "Thank you!!!!" to you and your wonderful selfless husband. You two are magical. Saundra and I are in awe of all you do for so many of us. May you both be blessed by our loving Father in Heaven for all your angelic deeds.
This time, however, I couldn't let this go by without a sincere "Thank you!!!!" to you and your wonderful selfless husband. You two are magical.
Oh, my! Well, now I am blushing! You are too kind. The truth is, we do what we do because we love what we do. I can't think of a nicer bunch of people to be associated with. Really, we don't do all that much, but what we do is a labor of love for people that we truly care about. :-)
May God bless you and Saundra with every good thing.....and don't be a stranger around here. I look forward to seeing you on the forum more often.
Must have. LOL
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