Some of you may have heard a rumor that our club's newly elected Vice President, Win Freeman was resigning his position. Although he was considering it, that is not the case. Win's concerns stem from his current lack of availability on Wednesday evenings. You see, his wife's business has taken off dramatically, and Win has come out of retirement to help her out until they can add sufficient staff. So for awhile he will be on airplanes most Wednesdays, but I have reassured him that Wednesdays do not the club make. A.R.E.C. is so much more than just that one night. In fact, he will continue to charge up Signal Hill every Monday night with a few other club faithful (and they are always looking for more company). Win will also again help out with the upcoming Long Beach Marathon and Half Marathon training programs which begin on May 20, as well as continuing to work behind the scenes handling many club business issues. He and Marsha also again plan to host another post-LB Marathon party on the Sunday following the race. And when we see him on a Wednesday, well that will be a bonus! His contributions have already been positively felt in the short time he has been on the Board, and we should be thankful to have someone as considerate as Win representing A.R.E.C. So fear not, he still is, and will continue to be the V.P. of this club... at the very least until the next Board member elections come along in December of 2007.
I recently notified Sheri Mirliss (widow of long-time club member Mel Mirliss) that between A Running Experience Club members and the club itself, we have raised $500 which we will donate to the American Heart Association in memory of Mel. It's hard to describe the emotion she felt and how appreciative she was by everyone's generosity. She is still today discovering how many people's lives that Mel has touched. Thank you again to all who donated!