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President's year end message/report for 2004 AGM

The year 2004 was easily Front Runners' most successful in its 22 year history in Vancouver.

A summary of the achievements

  • Membership growth surpassed 50, from a start of 14 at the beginning of 2003.
  • Continuation of out-of-town team-relay event participation. From Haney to Harrison in 2003 to Edge to Edge and the Whistler 100 in 2004.
  • Successful affiliation with corporate sponsors: VanCity and Yaletown Walk and Run.
  • Yaletown Walk and Run offered the first ever VFR training clinic from May to July.
  • Participation in International Front Runners Games and AGM in Seattle in July.
  • First ever pride demo run on the pride parade course.
  • Second year of pride festival booth for Vancouver Front Runners.
  • First ever Pride Run and Walk held in October. Money raised for the Dr. Peter Centre and Youthquest!
  • Continued individual participation in local and regional runs such as the Victoria and Vancouver Marathons, Fall Classic.
  • Continued team participation in local runs with excellent results:
    • First place club team in the Sun Run.
    • First place team in the Scotia Half Marathon.
    • Two of the top three places in the James Cunningham Seawall Race.
  • Blue Sugoi technical shirt with club logo.
  • Social events.
  • Launch of new website.
  • Acquisition of club tent and banners.
  • Repeat of Yaletown Wednesday summer evening runs out of the Roundhouse.
  • Great post-Saturday-recreational-run brunch-site find in Wild Garlic.
  • Establishment of greeter rotation for recreational runs.
  • Numerous volunteers for social-event organizing, run coordination and Pride events.
  • A friendly and fun group of people.
  • Participation of friends and of family members of club members in social and running events.
  • Generous overall contribution and assistance from sponsor VanCity.
  • Generous assistance with the racing and pride events from Yaletown Walk and Run.
  • First TV show to profile Vancouver Front Runners: Outlook TV in October.
  • First Vancouver sports team to be profiled in Xtra West for Team Vancouver in preparation for 2006.

Goals for 2005

  • Build on the excellent base described above.
  • Increase membership and membership participation so that we can offer more recreational and training run opportunities.
  • Offer more recreational and training run opportunities. With more people on the run more pace groups can be formed.
  • Prepare in conjunction with Team Vancouver and other sport and cultural groups for GayGames VII and OutGames I, which take place in late July 2006.
  • We have applied with the Parks Board for a Pride Run to be held on pride weekend in 2005.
  • Continue with team participation in the following: Sun Run, ScotiaBank Half Marathon, James Cunningham Seawall Race, Edge to Edge Relay in Tofino/Ucluelet, Haney to Harrison Relay.

Conclusion

I would like to thank the retiring members of the board, Andrew, Greg and Norm, who have served blithely and energetically for two years as charter members of Vancouver Front Runners inaugural executive committee. A hearty thanks to Greg for often pushing (or is that pulling) us into new ventures. We look forward to an invite from Greg for a run/bbq at his new hacienda where Andrew and Norm will still be able to roam at large.

Thanks go as well to all the organizers and volunteers for the running and social events, particularly the Pride Run and Walk. We know you will be rewarded for this.

Thanks as well to our corporate sponsors: Yaletown Walk and Run who helped greatly at the Pride Run in October amongst other assistance and to VanCity whose generosity was key to setting up our own web site and obtaining club banners and tent.

And as well a thank you to my fellow board members whose faces shone at our board meetings and adorned the new club website's member area page so well.

It has been a pleasure,

Your humble and obedient newsletter editor and president,
Ray

Happy running in '05!