Way to go, Texas Challenge 2010 Staff members!

[Stone Swivel]

Hey, all you folks in those orange t-shirts....

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Big time.  Our tiny little team, spread out over tens of thousands of square miles, just pulled off an event that has the big, wealthy regions wondering how they can possibly match what we just did.  A-bygolly-mazing. 

I've only just returned home after 4 hours on the road, and I'm a little sleep deprived, as probably most of you are.  Still, I wanted my first post before I go into hibernation to be to you all, the ones that made the impossible happen.  With months of planning, and 9 days in SASP, I witnessed so many examples of selflessness, pitching in where needed, unasked-for creativity, and just plain patience and friendliness, that I can't begin to list them until I've recovered a little. 

My inbox runneth over with congratulatory comments, and every one is a tribute to your hard work and grace "under fire."  Steve & I may have been on the stage, but you're the ones that pulled it all together.

Let the shoutouts commence.

[TeamHampton]

We also couldn't have done it without the Steve's!  Thanks guys.  This was a blast!

[TeamHampton]

Check out the KSAN story here:

http://conchovalleyhomepage.com/search-fulltext?&nxd_id=67984

[WTXGA Admin (the4defaus)]

WHEW!  WE DID IT FOLKS! 

I am going to attempt to put my feelings into words the best I can. 

I am so proud of our group that I honestly can't stop smiling.  There were many occasions during the events where Steve Wilson and I were directly recognized and to be honest, that doesn't sit very well with me.  Yes, we appreciate the personal compliments but the success of this past weekend is due to everyone in the WTXGA.  Everyone worked their buns off and it showed.

The main thing that still sticks with me was seeing all the orange shirts throughout the weekend and seeing all the smiles on our folks faces.  Everyone came together and epitomized West Texas hospitality... and it showed!  The attitudes of our folks were contagious with the attendees as well.  I am still getting compliments in emails about how friendly our staff was.  You guys and gals are the best! 

I would like specifically to recognize a few folks that really made a difference over the last week before the event.  First of all, my brother from another mother, Steve Wilson.  He swore to me 2 years ago that he would not be involved with hosting a Texas Challenge.  He was adamant.  Then, when the time came I knew that I needed the kind of help that are his strengths, he jumped in and bailed out his friend... and our group.  Thank you so much my friend, I know that I owe you big time.

Also, I would like to recognize a HUGE and almost silent force that made this event a success, Mike and Casie Feathers and their family and friends from San Angelo.   Folks, you have no idea how much work these people put in on this.  In addition to securing thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of donations, they put their lives on hold for the last couple of months to ensure that this event went off with class and efficiency.  The sheer amount of behind the scenes work that they did is staggering.  I can honestly say that we could not have done this successful of an event without them.  Mike, Casie, Eddie & Terri, you guys are amazing.  Thank you my friends.

Kelly & Michelle Bridges (Gonefishing2) - Ya'll spent all week out there with Steve & I and besides trekking out there in the park placing punches almost every day you guys were the "Johnnys' on the spot" for us.  You both are the best!

Robert Hampton (TeamHampton) - Thank you so much for your technical expertise in GSAK.  You really came in and saved our bacon when Steve W. & I were getting pulled in different directions.  Thank you!!!

And again, to all the WTXGA folks that came out, you were awesome!  Everyone was eager to help and pitched in wherever they were needed.  Thank you all so very much.  I am sincere when I say that I am honored to have you all as friends.  West Texas Geocachers are obviously the best people anyone could ever meet. 

Thank you all!

[Roland_oso]

Wow!
Fantastic job this weekend folks. The West Texas hospitality made this Southern Georgia boy feel at home. If there were pine trees instead of Cactus and mesquite I might have been fooled into believing I was back in Ga.

It will be interesting to see how the Texas Challenge evolves after all of your hard work and efforts.

Kudos to each and everyone of you fine folks!
Harry

[gonefishing2]

I know I have said it before but WOW!!! Everyone did a great job.

I can't Thank the Feathers and the Beenes enough for all their HUGE amount of work they put into the Challenge. They did so much for the WTXGA team from the HUGE amount of donations to the spaghetti diner at their house. THANK YOU

Thank you to both of the Steves aka The Fearless Leaders for all the late nights and answering my silly questions because I really don't know much about computers really. Thanks for the 'trash can' at cabin #6 and the red cups after the Challenge.

Thank you to Robert for stepping in to become the hide team leader. Thank you for all the phone calls and helping me with my computer question.

Thank you to the friendly  and very helpful SASP staff and for putting up with a large crowd of geocachers. We loved being there the whole week.

THANK YOU  to everyone that helped out during the Challenge 2010

Now we can take a deep breath , slow down , and say WOOHOO
                           Kelly and Michelle Bridges

[WTXGA Admin (the4defaus)]

Please let me clarify my earlier post in this thread...

After such a resounding success as this Texas Challenge was, the last thing I would want is for any member of our organization to feel that their contributions weren't recognized.  Steve W. and I are both very aware that we could not have headed up this event with out the support of each and everyone of the WTXGA team.  My earlier post was simply to identify and briefly recognize the folks that put their lives on hold (and even in a couple of cases took vacation time away from their jobs) for the entire last week of the event to help me with the final push to get ready for Friday's kick off. 

I am still in the process of writing a personal email to each and everyone of you but it is taking me some time since now I have been smacked back into real family life.  I cannot express it enough that everyone was a key player in this event that resulted in hundreds of smiling faces and hundreds more positive comments from all over the state and beyond. 

Once again, we did it folks... and it was because of YOU!

[The Amigos]

Yep, AND we all survived to take the GOLD AMMOCAN home to WEST TEXAS next year!! lol

All I can say is....we told ya'll before.....WE MAY BE LITTLE, BUT WE'RE MIGHTY!!!!

Ain't never seen nothing like WTXGA!!!