FORE! GOLFING IN THE RGV!
This week features the private golf course of Winter Gardens!
UPCOMING EVENTS!
Check out this week’s listings of what’s happening in the RGV!
RECIPE CONNECTION!
Executive Chef Bettina Tolin shares her easy and fabulous turkey gravy!
Welcome Home See details on page 10.
See calendar on page 18.
VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • November 23, 2016
Try her recipe on page 23.
®
WINTER TEXAN
• • • your official connection to the rio grande valley • • •
WHRGV’s 6th Annual Connection Fair – Special to Welcome Home RGV
Our mission? To connect managers,
Thanksgiving
is a time to give thanks, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am for each and every one of you! I am so very blessed to love what I do and to be able to surround myself with folks like you. They say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s the truth! I look forward to each and every day and to seeing so many of you out and about.
I’ll be spending Thanksgiving with my family. I am ready to spend some quality time with the people I love, giving thanks for all of my blessings. I’m also looking forward to eating my mother’s turkey and dressing-and topping it off with our traditional pumpkin chiffon! (See page 4 for recipe) I’m thankful that you have chosen my home as your home away from home. The Rio Grande Valley is such a wonderful place, and with the ‘chamber-of-commerce’ weather we’ve been having, it’s no wonder that you love it here. I wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings, and know you will be celebrating with friends in your park who have become family!! • We’re just connecting the dots,
Kristi
activity directors, board members, and key volunteers from resorts and parks across the Rio Grande Valley with the tools, resources, services, and contacts they need to make all of YOU have a great winter season! We accepted our mission and held the Welcome Home RGV 6th Annual Connection Fair November 8 at the McAllen Convention Center. We had over 100 vendors and over 100 attendees, and it was a HUGE success. Connecting these key players from our resorts and parks with vendors from across the Valley, all under one roof, allows bookings, outings, and events to be planned onthe-spot.
••• “The professionalism displayed by your staff is simply a direct reflection on you, so kudos!” - Jack Henley, CamperForce ••• In her event evaluation, Diana Rodriguez from Air Evac Lifeteam said, “This event was very well organized and so beneficial to the park managers and activity directors, especially. You all made it easy for them to select services and activities that would interest or benefit their Winter Texan guests. As a vendor, the response and interest in our service was beyond what I had expected. Thank you for all your hard work!” Russell Walker, general manager of Macaroni Grill in McAllen, was equally thrilled with the outcome. “Connection Fair was well worth our time. Being able to visit with other
Mission Accomplished!!
vendors, as well as getting face-toface time with that many activity directors and park managers, was invaluable.” Connection Fair also allowed Russell and the Castle Hospitality (Macaroni Grill and Tony Roma’s) staff to share with those in attendance that these restaurants are locally owned and operated and have a wide range of services to offer our Winter Texans and other retirees in the community—private meeting areas, lunch and dinner deliveries, Happy Hour specials, and customized catering. Jack Henley, CamperForce program manager with Connection Fair 2016’s title sponsor, Amazon, said, “Thanks for hosting such a great show. I’ve been to LOTS of shows, and your show runs VERY smoothly. The
professionalism displayed by your staff is simply a direct reflection on you, so kudos! See you next year!” The vendors weren’t the only ones raving about Connection Fair. Anita King from Winter Ranch RV Resort said, “GREAT JOB! Thank you. This was very helpful, and I was able to speak with vendors I was planning to work with.” We accepted our mission and worked hard to carry it out. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Mark your calendars now for Connection Fair 2017. It will be held at the McAllen Convention Center Thursday, November 2, 2017. For information or to reserve a spot, please call 956-687-5115. •
CONNECTION FAIR 2016
EVENT PICTURES ON PAGE 14
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2016-2017 SEASON SPONSORS