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oliday greetings from the entire Bloomington Gold Team! We want to wish you and your families a very happy holiday season. Don’t forget to ask Santa for something new, shiny and FAST this year! We are very excited about our move to Champaign, Illinois, in 2013. The Bloomington Gold team has been working on new ideas, improvements and additions. Our goal is to add FUN to the Bloomington Gold weekend! Some of the new events planned are Autocross Racing, destination Mini-Tours and an even bigger and better Saturday night Road Tour! In an effort to make the show more convenient to more Corvette lovers, we have scheduled our event for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 28, 29 & 30, 2013.
2 Welcome/Schedule 3 40th/60th Anniversary 4 In Memory: Jean Bates 5 Reliable Article/Checklist 6 GoldTour 8 Loaction Map 10 Judging/Registration 12 Great Hall: Year Four 13 GoldSchool
Look for announcements in 2013 on the launching of a new Bloomington Gold Membership program. If you block out the last full weekend of June every year to be with your Corvette friends for a few days, then this is perfect for you! Membership will include exclusive fun activities and other perks. You will want to join with friends and be a Bloomington Gold Member!
14 GoldYear
Thank you for your continued support of Bloomington Gold and can’t wait till the last full weekend of June for some summer fun!
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Guy Larsen, President EVENTS SEMINARS
THURSDAY Show Not Open
GoldSchool
CERTIFICATION Gold SURVIVOR®
FRIDAY
7:00am-5:00pm
SATURDAY 7:00am-5:00pm
SUNDAY
7:00am-5:00pm
8:00am-5:00pm Mandatory Check-In Mandatory Check-In
Mandatory Parking Mandatory Parking
Judging 8:00am-5:00pm
SALES
Judging 8:00am-1:00pm
Awards 1:00pm-3:00pm
Benchmark/Gold/Survivor
Corvette Auction
Preview 7:00am-5:00pm
Start 11:00am
Corvettes (owner/dealer)
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
Exhibitors
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
Corvette Parking/Displays
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
The Great Hall: Year Four
Display 8:00am-5:00pm
8:00am-5:00pm Induction: 4pm
Display 8:00am-5:00pm
DISPLAYS
ON THE ROAD
Staging: 5:00pm
GoldTour Mini-Tours GoldAutocross
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Contents
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
TBD
TBD
TBD
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
7:00am-5:00pm
15 Mecum Advertisement 16 Staff/Staff Spotlights 18 Hotels/Sponsors Back Next Issue/Contact
Time for a Celebration! It is the 40th Anniversary of Bloomington Gold Corvettes AND the 60th Anniversary of Chevrolet Corvette! Come to Champaign, Illinois this year and see how Bloomington Gold and Chevrolet Corvette celebrate! This year will be a bigger and better event! Look for more displays by Chevrolet with some super surprises in store. Once again, GM engineers will be on hand to answer your questions. And in addition to their terrific Corvette display, this year the Corvette Racing Trailer will be on site! You won’t want to miss the chance to view these Corvette racers, engines and view their race history. Be sure to try your hand at the Racing Game stations too! Keep watching our future newsletters for more news on exciting displays from Chevrolet. And of course, Bloomington Gold will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a display of 1963 Gold Year Corvettes! Chevrolet Racing Game stations
Can’t wait till June!
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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In Memoriam
Jean Anne Bates 1946 - 2012
by David Burroughs
I
f you attended Bloomington Gold during the 1980’s and into the 1990’s, you met Jean ( Jeannie) Bates. She was everywhere. Wherever there was a problem she was in the middle of it. Not whining about it, but fixing it. She mended the bruised egos of Certification owners. Made grumpy vendors laugh. Got emergency help for the injured or sick. Schmoozed sponsors with heartfelt appreciation. Was a role model for Bloomington Gold “yellow shirts”. Created all sorts of trinket prizes to give Bloomington Gold employees and volunteers who were caught by our phantom shoppers doing the right thing. And brought her daughters (Kristy and Jodi) along for good measure—because they inherited the same skills as their mom. Oh yes; she was the person floating around the Special Collection dressed like a million bucks and setting the tone for the Special Collection staff, owners, and everyone who walked through. This was her not-so-subtle hint to others how to show respect for the vehicles and venue that made the Special Collection “special”.
Glamour and being the front person was not where she started. Her first assignment was to stay after the swap meet closed on Saturday in order to measure and lay out the Certification field parking grid with flags, signs and precision markings (while the rest of us attended the Judges banquet) that evening. Like magic, when the Certification owners showed up the next morning at 5:30 AM, Jeannie was in charge of getting all owners parked precisely in the spots and would flash her uncontrollable smile and sincerely welcome each owner before judging began. A year or so later, she brought her friend, Frank Iskryzycki, into that job and her role expanded from there. Jean Bates was the “face” of the Bloomington Gold brand. First Class. Friendly. Considerate. Fair. High Energy. Enthusiastic. Tough. She was a mixture of gear-head, entertainer, host, trouble shooter, and cheerleader to all. Known by many during that era as “Bloomington Gold Jeannie”, there was far more to her than that. She was a great mom. Community minded activist. Counselor. Fire chief (no kidding). And good friend.. Jean Anne Bates made a difference.
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BLOOMINGTON GOLD
SPECIALIZED AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORTATION
ON THE ROAD WITH RELIABLE CARRIER’S DRIVER
GERALD DOBBINS
W
hen a new owner needs to transport a oneof-a-kind, custom dream car, peace of mind can be hard won until the vehicle arrives at its new home. That’s why Reliable Carriers hire only the very best drivers in the business – those who share their passion for excellence. Meet Reliable driver Gerald Dobbins, whose pride is evident whenever he talks about his job. “Reliable invests in the best equipment and they have the best management in the business,” says Dobbins, who’s been transporting vehicles for Reliable since 2010. Dobbins logs 120,000 miles annually with Reliable, commanding his CMV rig with confidence. He has faced just about every load-in and load-out situation imaginable. Where others may find trouble, Dobbins uses his miles of experience to succeed. “I’ve seen our trucks navigate some of the tightest places in the world. We get the job done.” He’s especially proud of the Reliable commitment to remain at the top by investing in state-of-the-art technology. He describes how the Advanced Liftgate feature on Reliable’s Enclosed Auto Transport trucks helps him provide top-notch service. “The liftgate comes all the way down to the ground like an elevator door. I can load low clearance vehicles into the truck without worrying about scratching or damage.” Reliable’s fleet of 350 rigs offer a complete range of vehicle shipping services. Customers needing to move classic, antique, or auction cars can rely on Reliable Carriers door-to-door enclosed auto transport. These trucks are fully enclosed, with air-ride suspensions keeping vibration to a minimum, and movement next to nothing. Trucks also feature double drop floors, seven-car capacity with an upper deck for additional storage. Another reason Reliable customers enjoy peace of mind is thanks to $5 million dollars worth of insurance coverage on the contents of every trailer. Dobbins smiles when he comments that Reliable’s blanket coverage “doesn’t list the driver as a beneficiary, either.” He adds, “the policy provides comprehensive coverage that my customers really appreciate, along with the tender loving care I give.” From loading in to rolling out, Reliable Carriers are always primed to go the distance, thanks to drivers like Gerald Dobbins who are committed to providing every customer with unparalleled service. Reliable Carriers is proud to be an official carrier for every Bloomington Gold Corvette show. To learn more about Reliable Carriers and the many services they provide, please visit their website at reliablecarriers.com.
YOUR RELIABLE CHECK-LIST Prior to shipping treasured classic vehicles, Reliable Carriers driver Gerald Dobbins suggests that his customers perform a few simple tasks that can help things go smoothly. Here’s a checklist: Remove all loose items from inside the vehicle’s cabin and trunk. These items can be boxed separately and taken with the car. Provide the Reliable driver with a full set of keys. Make sure to keep a spare set yourself. Your driver will conduct a vehicle inspection with you prior to loading. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Have any special instructions prepared and ready. Provide up-to-date contact information where you can be reached while the vehicle is in transit. Reliable trucks are VERY LARGE. A shopping center or church parking lot can be the best location for loading and unloading. Your Reliable Carriers contact will discuss this option with you.
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BLOOMINGTON BLOOMINGTON GOLD GOLD
PLANNING THE ROUTE INTO A NEW ERA by Alan Knuckey
A
s we look forward to Bloomington Gold’s move to the new venue at the University of Illinois’ Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL, one extremely exciting aspect of the event is the GoldTour. The GoldTour will be the evening of Saturday, June 29. The tour will stage and begin on the Assembly Hall grounds. From here, the Corvettes will travel through the beautiful Illinois countryside. Winding through the scenic Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, the Tour will cross the historic Lake of the Woods Covered Bridge. Established in 1968, this two lane covered bridge provides the perfect backdrop for the equally historic “Corvettes meeting Corvettes” where Corvettes of all makes and models travel both lanes...coming and going...giving owners the opportunity to greet other owners with a friendly wave.
The GoldTour ends in downtown Champaign, where the area businesses will roll out the red carpet for Bloomington Gold attendees. Enjoy browsing the many unique shops, or enjoy dinner and drinks at one of the many restaurants and bars. If you like great BBQ and Blues music, join the City of Champaign & its many sponsors as they host the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival, located on the northern edge of the downtown area. This FREE event, open to the public, features some of the best Blues music in the state, along with mouth watering BBQ, food, and drinks. For more information about the festival, visit their website at www.bluesbrewsandbbqfest.com.
Lake of the Woods Covered Bridge, part of the scenic GoldTour route
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BLOOMINGTON GOLD
GoldTour participants will have a secured and closed section of streets designated for Corvettes only parking during the festivities.
class. What better way to celebrate the combination of the Corvette turning 60 and Bloomington Gold turning 40 than putting 100% into the fun and excitement which Bloomington Gold has grown to represent.
Downtown Champaign, its merchants and residents alike are excited to welcome such a prestigious group of vehicles and enthusiasts. Never before has this classic downtown been over run by the ultimate example of automotive
We cordially invite each and every one of you to plan on being a part of this epic new chapter in the 2013 GoldTour. The 2013 Bloomington Gold show runs June 28-30.
Lake of the Woods (see inset)
1 Right (South) out of the Staging Area onto S. Oak St. 2 Follow S. Oak St. to Bunker Rd.
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3 Right (South) onto First St..
13
14
4 Right (West) onto Windsor Rd.
Tin Cup Rd.
5 Right (North) onto S. Stayley Rd. 6 Left (West) onto Bloomington Rd. (County Rd. 150)
8 15
7 Right (North) onto S. Prairie View Rd.
S. Prairie View Rd.
8 Left (West) onto Tin Cup Rd. 9 Left (South) onto N. Lake of the Woods Rd.
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10 Right (North) onto Lake of the Woods County Park Rd.
150
Blo
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11 Follow Lake of the Woods County Park Rd. around the loop
om
ing
ton
12 Left (North) onto N. Lake of the Woods Rd.
Rd.
13 Right (East) onto Tin Cup Rd.
14 Right (South) onto S. Prairie View Rd. 15 Left (East) onto Bloomington Rd. (County Rd. 150)
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16 Right (South) onto Mattis Ave.
150
Lake of the Woods County Park Road
17 Left (East) onto University Ave 18 Downtown Champaign
Lake of the Woods
16
Mattis Ave.
N. Staley Rd.
N. Lake of the Woods Rd.
17
18
W. University Ave
S. Staley Rd.
NOTE: GoldTour map is tentative and subject to change. Check www.bloomingtongold.com for updates.
1 S. Oak St.
Windsor Rd. 5
2
3
First St. 4
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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JUDGING EVENTS
GOLDSCHOOL
THE GREAT HALL: YEAR FOUR
8
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
NOTE: Map is tentative and subject to change. Check www.bloomingtongold.com for updates.
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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Bloomington Gold’s primary objective
is to encourage preservation of the history and heritage of the Corvette. To that end, Bloomington Gold’s judging events and the certificates awarded are FOR THE PURPOSE OF SPORT ONLY. These events are not intended, and never have been, for the purpose of determining market value of an automobile.
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BLOOMINGTON GOLD
Gold Certified means that a Corvette has been “preserved in” or “restored to” within 95% of the way it appeared when it left the factory...no better, no worse, no different.
Corvettes which are over 20 years old, remain over 50% unrestored or unaltered, retain over 50% original finishes, complete a 10-mile road test, and pass at least 3 of the 4 categories of exterior, interior, underhood and chassis may qualify. This award is designed to recognize those Corvettes that are “Worn in, but not worn out.”TM
America’s most prestigious Corvette award. BENCHMARK Certified documents the ultimate standard for unrestored vehicles. To achieve Benchmark status, an unrestored Corvette must attain Gold Certification and excel in all four categories of Survivor during the same weekend. To date, fewer than 100 Corvettes have received the prestigious Benchmark award.
The Certification event was created to recognize cars preserved or restored to Typical Factory Production (TFP) authenticity and condition. The Survivor event was created to recognize those cars that APPEAR for the “majority” to have been preserved as factory original. A Bloomington Gold award represents the judgment and opinion of NCCB/NCSB judges as to the appearance of authenticity and damage/deterioration of the automobile “as is, where is” on the day it is judged.
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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Year Four The Great Hall is conceived to run for five years. Each year, ten people and ten Corvettes will be inducted into ® the Hall. Each year, the nationally known selection committee will select the current year’s inductees. At the lthough Corvette began end of the fifth year, the conclusion production in 1953, the Corvette of our efforts will result in something Phenomenon began in 1973. That’s that has been missing from our sport when things seemed to shift from the recognition of our Pioneers. The fifty “new” car era to the collector car era. most influential people (organizations) The first Corvette magazine (Vette and the fifty most influential (or Vues) was born. Swap meets sprang historic) Corvettes that shaped the up. Vendors began offering (crude) Corvette Phenomenon as we know it reproduction parts. Car prices started to today. reverse from normal depreciation curves to appreciation curves. Corvette concours shows began attracting attention The People The Cars and participants. National Mike Antonick 1957 Fuel Injection organizations came into being Zora Arkus-Duntov 1961 Gulf Racer (e.g. Bloomington Gold, NCRS). Bloomington Gold 1962 327 CID Normal maintenance shifted to Reeves Callaway 1963 Grand Sport the “fun” of full restorations; i.e. Carlisle Productions 1965 First Big Block new interiors and new paint jobs. Chip Miller 1967 L88 Daytona Racer This era from 1973 through 1993 Bill Mitchell 1987 Escort Series Racer not only charted the course to Jim Perkins Callaway Corvette where the Corvette industry is Dr. Dick Th ompson C5 Z06 today but also influenced much Mike Yager C6 ZR1 of the course that other collector brands are just beginning to follow today. Therefore, we need Updates will be available on our website to honor the pioneers of this period; at www.BloomingtonGold.com and in 1973 through 2014. future Gold REView Newsletters.
The People. The Cars. The Stories.
A
The 2013 Inductees
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BLOOMINGTON GOLD
“Not Everyone Can Be In The Great Hall... But Everyone Can Be On The Great Wall” We are offering you the opportunity to be a part of our Great Hall display. You may purchase a faux stone* on “The Great Wall” which will be a part of “The Great Hall” at Bloomington Gold 2013. “The Great Wall” will consist of individuals, families, businesses and clubs. If you, your family, your business or your club would like to be a part of “The Great Wall,” please complete the Order Form (downloadable at www. bloomingtongold.com).and return it by May 15, 2013. You will receive a complimentary poster-sized version of The Great Wall to be picked up at the show. To Purchase: Laurie Beyer at 309.888.2588 laurie@bloomingtongold.com *Each stone is 6” X 12” in size. $100 Per stone.
Introducing a brand new series of classes for 2013!
T
his one of a kind school is for novice or experienced owners, buyers, sellers, collectors, writers, restorers, dealers, appraisers, or judges. You won’t want to miss our classes this year! Some topics in the works are C5-6 Engine Performance Upgrades, Cleaning & Detailing, Factory Assembly Procedures, Collecting & Investing and C1-3 Restoration Techniques.
For upadtes on seminars, dates & times, check our website after January 1 www.BloomingtonGold.com. Registration opens February 15. or email Shelley Sohn at shelley@bloomingtongold.com BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF THE STING RAY 1963 marked the introduction of the futuristically designed Corvette – a styling icon which introduced features never before seen until the GM design staff put their genius on paper, worked it into clay and then ultimately produced what is arguably one of the most recognizable vehicles in the world. We’ve come to know the split window as a one time only element but other innovations brought forth with the release of the Sting Ray endured for years to come. As Bloomington Gold celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1963 Corvette, our vision is to fill the GoldYear area with as many of these iconic cars as possible. Your car turns 50 only once and it deserves to be shared with those who truly appreciate the influence the original Sting Ray continues to enjoy in the sports car world. Contact Alan Knuckey at 309.888.4477 or alan@bloomingtongold.com
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BLOOMINGTON GOLD
18 Vehicles from The John Justo Collection Exhibit Dates: December 1, 2012 – January 11, 2013 Visit the exhibit according to your time schedule for an opportunity to pre-inspect this world-class collection and its documentation in advance of the Mecum auction to be held January 18 -27, 2013 in Kissimmee, Florida. Private vehicle inspections available 7 days a week 8am-5pm by appointment only.*
The Mecum Gallery 445 South Main Street Walworth, Wisconsin 53184 www.MECUM.com
1 hour from Milwaukee General Mitchell Airport 1.5 hours from Chicago O’Hare Airport
*Contact Us: 262-275-5050 or info@mecum.com
f f a t S GUY LARSEN President
DAVID BURROUGHS Founder
LAURIE BEYER Certification Operations
SHELLEY SOHN Judging Events Coordinator/ Seminar Operations
CATHY WINTERS Registration
JOE REMES Field Operations Director
Lori Worman Exhibitor Sales/Sponsorships
WILLIAM LOCKE The Great Hall
ALAN KNUCKEY GoldField, GoldClubs, GoldYear, GoldTour
CORBYN S. KERN Graphic Design
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BLOOMINGTON GOLD
t h g i l t o p CORBYN S. KERN
f f a t S
S
Creative, talented, imaginative, inspired… by Shelley Sohn
T
hose are just a few words that come to mind when I think of Corbyn Kern, our graphic design artist. We are so lucky to have Corbyn as part of our Bloomington Gold team. Everyday we get to witness his awesome Corvette creations. Just give him a vague idea of what we have in mind and he runs with it. Many people don’t know that ALL of the Bloomington Gold advertising, posters, flyers, forms and any print items are created by Corbyn. The Great Hall is another fine sample of his work. His talent amazes us on a daily basis. We love his work so much that many pieces are framed and displayed in our homes and right here in the Bloomington Gold office. Corbyn is always patient with all of our ideas and changes. Not only are we fortunate to have Corbyn with us at Bloomington Gold, but his wife, Kim, and daughters, Taylor and Kelsey, help us out at the show. They are a very special family and an asset to Bloomington Gold. At the show, Corbyn will be the one with the camera getting all the cool shots for his next year of creativity. Corbyn attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where he was a film major (meeting Kim their first week there). After graduation, he ended up in Hollywood and to earn extra money started doing graphic design work and the rest is history! Corbyn is a huge Spider-Man geek. He loves all things Spider-Man related (except real spiders). A good movie is right up his alley, especially a good Zombie one. He collects movie memorabilia for his man cave. His therapy is drawing. When he wants to get away from everything he disappears into a blank page and creates. That creativity is a gift to everyone who knows him! Thank you Corbyn for being part of the Bloomington Gold family!
k: Il Hitchcoc
lustration
See more of Corbyn’s designs & illustrations at www.cskern.biz. Kim, Taylor and Kelsey hamming it up at the 2012 show
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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Sponsors BOOK YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS FOR OUR 2013 BLOOMINGTON GOLD EVENT! Rooms are filling up fast. The following is a list of official host/partner hotels for Bloomington Gold. Please remember to mention you are attending Bloomington Gold when making reservations to obtain special event pricing. Visit our website at www.bloomingtongold.com for a complete list of available local Champaign, Illinois hotels or contact Shelley Sohn at 309.888.2588 or shelley@bloomingtongold.com more information. Hotels
Res. Phone #
Miles from Event
Comfort Suites
217.328.3500
3.5
Country Inn & Suites Courtyard by Marriott
217.355.6666 217.355.0411
3.8 3.7
Eastland Suites & Conf. Center Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham
217.367.8331 217.398.3400
4.3 5
Hilton Garden Inn
217.352.9970
6
Holiday Inn & Conf. Center
217.328.7900
4.7
Holiday Inn Express
217.328.0328
4.7
Homewood Suites
217.352.9960
3.4
La Quinta
217.356.4000
3.4
Quality Inn & Suites
217.352.4055
3.7
Or contact the Champaign County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1.800.369.6151 for lodging information.
www.BloomingtonGold.com 309.888.4477 18
BLOOMINGTON GOLD
Proud Sponsor of The Great Hall at Bloomington Gold! Visit Us at Spaces
To be a sponsor for this or upcoming MC417 & events, contact Cathy at 309.888.4477 MC418 and Your orget cathy@bloomingtongold.com
Copy of Our FREE Catalogs!
Serving the Corvette Community Since 1977.
Gold MERCHANDISE Check out our NEW branded products... Order NOW...they won’t last long!
A perfect gift for the upcoming holidays, a great way to say ‘Happy Birthday’, or just let that special someone know your thinking of them. Bloomington Gold is excited to offer an exclusive line of quality men’s and women’s clothing as well as stainless steel stationary accessories and decorative ornaments branded with the Bloomington Gold logo. Show off your passion for the Corvette hobby at home or at the office. But don’t wait...only a limited quantity and sizes available!
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Bloomington Gold Woman’s fleece hoodie S, M, L, XL, $20.00
B
Bloomington Gold Business Card Holder 3.75 inches wide, $30.00
C
Bloomington Gold Logo Ornament 4 inches wide, $20.00
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Bloomington gold Men’s Hoodie S, M, L, XL, XXL, $25.00
To purchase online, www.BloomingtonGold.com, or call us 309.888.4477 BLOOMINGTON GOLD
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Y E A R S
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ASSEMBLY HALL • UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS JUNE 28-30, 2013 In The Next Issue 2013 is right around the corner, and the Bloomington Gold event is just down the road. Get more details about our Great Hall: Year Four inductees. Enjoy the scenery, as we bring you highlights from the upcoming GoldTour. Sponsor updates, hot spots around Champaign, continuing in depth peeks at our staff, GoldEvents and much, much more! Contact We want to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts, questions and comments for future issues of the Gold REView at guy@bloomingtongold.com.
DOWNTOWN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
GOLDSCHOOL & THE GREAT HALL
www.BloomingtonGold.com 309.888.4477