Getaway Report - An Amazing Experience!
September 26-29, 2024
Janet Darrow and Tony Armand truly went the extra mile to ensure everyone had an amazing experience at this year’s Getaway in Long Beach, California. Each day, we were greeted with sunny skies and stunning views.
Thursday evening’s welcome dinner at The Reef Restaurant embraced a Hawaiian theme, with everyone dressed in their best island-inspired attire. An hour of complimentary drinks set the stage for FAUSA members to reconnect with old friends and warmly welcome new faces, creating a lively and friendly atmosphere.
Friday began with an eye-opening boat tour of the bustling Long Beach port, where an astounding 4 million containers are processed annually. The sheer scale and logistics were mind-boggling. From there, we boarded the iconic big red bus, along with an overflow black bus, for a tour of Long Beach led by Art Deco expert John Thomas.
In 1933, a devastating earthquake ravaged the city, destroying many buildings, including schools and the main hospital. During the rebuilding efforts, the Art Deco style, which was then in vogue, shaped much of the reconstruction, and many of these beautifully restored buildings still stand today.
After a leisurely lunch, we visited Rancho Los Alamitos, a historic ranch and garden. The early 19th-century adobe ranch house, now a museum, offers a glimpse into the area’s rich history. The day concluded with an optional gondola tour through the scenic canals of Naples Island, adding a charming and serene finale to an eventful day.
Saturday morning's Annual General Meeting featured Tyler Bonanno-Curley, Deputy City Manager for Long Beach and Co-chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in Long Beach, as the guest speaker. He provided fascinating insights into the city's preparations to host Olympic and Paralympic events.
The meeting concluded with the exciting announcement of next year’s Annual Meeting and Getaway, which will take place in Milwaukee from October 9 to 12, 2025. We will be celebrating FAUSA’s 25th Anniversary in Milwaukee, so be sure to add the dates to your calendar to help us cheer the first 25 years of FAUSA!
It was a truly memorable and impactful weekend.
2023 Getaway Recap
The 2023 Annual Meeting and Gala in Nashville was a great success and so much fun! We had a record 67 attendees and guests! We enjoyed barbecue at Jack’s; a docent-led tour of the historic Ryman Theatre; and, line dancing and dinner at the Wildhorse Saloon. Nashville’s hotel’s proximity allowed the attendees to walk to all of the entertainment and venues during the Getaway.
The guest speaker prior to the annual meeting was Sara Beth Myers, Deputy General Counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center and founder of AWAKE, Advocates for Women And Kids Equality. We elected the 2023-2025 board and announced the winners of FAUSA’s two $5,000 Annual Grants. It was such a close race this year! At one point we had a four-way tie for second place! The winners are A’gin Healthy Sexuality and Body Sovereignty - Braided Curriculum Project, Tewa Women United (which was our guest speaker at the Santa Fe Annual Meeting last year); and Family Sponsorship, Refugee Assistance Alliance out of Miami. Congratulations to both recipients! If your preferred charity did not win this year, please try again next year. The previous board voted to increase our contribution for FAWCO’s Target 5 project, which puts us a little over $9000 towards Awesome Blossoms, which is the highest tier for contributions.
Our entertainment for the Gala was Tatiana 'Tajci' Cameron, an award-winning music artist, a world-class entertainer and songwriter, and a Eurovision Song Contest finalist. During the live auction we had a demonstration from samurai Tim MacNeil, which was a big hit! We raised a record amount of $36,065 from the silent and live auction and also the quilt sales. The quilt drawing winner was a very excited Janet Darrow. The board is committed to continue to be good stewards of the generosity of the members.
Special thanks to Murray Frick for once again being our fun and entertaining auctioneer. A big thanks to Nan de Laubadere for donating the beautiful quilt. And thanks to Rick Chizmadia for creating another great video to remind us of the fun we have when we are together. A big thank you to the Getaway team for putting together another fun FAUSA weekend: Liz Janson, Kathy Limbaugh, Linda Harvan, Rick Chizmadia, and Suzanne MacNeil. And finally thank you Jennifer Padfield for publishing our annual report again this year.
