Forum > 2011, 7th National Eastern Regional Pinto Meet Carlile PA- 40th Anniversary of The Pinto

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Pinto1600:
   Now that I've had some time to settle down after a tough week back at work catching up on paperwork,I have some time to post. Some thoughts on our big bitrhday party for our Pintos. First,I want to give a BIG THANK YOU from Harley and myself to all our Pinto family members who made it to Carlisle to celebrate the 40th anniversary party. As I've stated before,it's not one or two people who made this happen. It was ALL of you! You guys and girls took the time and effort to get there,with the weather,breakdowns and monitary and time investments. We all had a great time,met new friends put faces to names and showed the big boys how our group of loyal Pinto owners got it done! I pray that all of use got home safe and sound,that those still heading home are safe on the road and make it back home really soon! I'd also like thank Norm and Louise Bagi for the outstanding and breathtaking efforts that they put into the Pinto Stampede. The planning,execution and overseeing of the Stampede was truely a work of love and dedication to the Wounded Warrior Project. A heart felt thank you,for being the guardian angles of this group of people and God bless both of you!
              To Harley,THANK YOU! With all of that was going on that weekend,you helped kept me from losing my mind with all the details and helping with the events during the show. You're a GREAT co-chairman!!! And a special THANK YOU to Bill Raine and Brian Berg,and the guys on broken pony rescue teams. Bill did a change out of a broken timing belt on Rod's car during the show and got him back up and running! Brian used his own trailer to rescue a disabled Pinto outside the front gate at Carlisle,and got him back to the group. And the guys (Norm and crew)that worked on Becky's Pinto,I can't say THANK YOU enough!!! They replaced both battery cables(boy,they were toasted!),spark plug wires and got her car a little bit more depedable for the long trip home. And to Pintony,it was fantastic to see you again and THANKS for all your support and being a very deep well of knowledge about our cars!  And THANK YOU to the Carlisle Events crew,Rick Maarko,Val Stewart,and the rest of the gang...you always go out of your way to help us out and make our stay at the show a true pleasure. And at this point,I can't say it louder or more heartfelt,I am humbled and honored to have been a small part of this adventure. THANKS TO ONE AND ALL WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!! See you next year!
 
                                             Sincerly,
                                             Phil Reynders (pinto1600)
                                             
 
                                                                                                       

Norman Bagi:
I will be adding to Phil's list, many more people helped out. 
Anyone could have jumped in to do something for the 40th, this was not a closed door session, so I want to thank those who helped.
First Brian "Cookieboy" Campbell, who contacted me over a year ago and took over the website and made a huge donation to the Wounded Warrior Project that dwarfed all others. His contributions are immesurable, I have made a life long friend.
My wife Louise who took care of allot of the things I hate, such as the hotel block reservations, arranging my schedule at carlisle and keeping me sane throughout the event.
Scott Hamilton, who backed us up from the start and allowed us use the forum and list the Stampede repeatedly (this may have annoyed some) he also helped with Becky's car and went into the stands to sell raffle tickets. We had some good conversations, and will have allot more.
Rick Marko of Carlisle events (and his staff, especially Valerie) who not only gave us celebrity status, but while he was running everything never hesitated to stop and cater to our needs.  Such as when the race Pinto's came out of the "T" building I had a last second idea to get them on the track and film them, he made it happen without any notice. He also sent me an e-mail asking if everyone, including Becky made it home safe, he is one of us!
John Clor of Ford Racing, another contribution that was out of this world. He brought Ford with him and gave the Pinto respect. He got us certificates signed by Edsel Ford the second, 40th Pins and dinner at the parade.  John is a Mustang guy, but he was a Pinto guy First.  Thanks to him and I am glad to call him a friend.
John Mooney of over the Moon PR, you rock man!  Press from coast to coast, TV, newspaper, Radio, I am still getting residual calls on this ride.  The Pinto got major props this year thanks to you.  You believed in our odd little drive and put some good paying clients on hold to get us great press.  Thank You, the next cold one is on me.
To all those who volunteered to help with the raffle, I know I will not be able to name you all, but a few stood out Bill Lockoski who immediately grabbed a handefull of raffle tickets and headed out into the field to guilt people into buying them. My Mom Beverly Murphy who maned the table almost the whole time. Others who also took tickets for sale included, Louise Hart (LTD / PINTO) Scott Hamilton, Cookieboy, Richard Metcalf, and I know others were involved, but I was all over the place and I appologize if I missed you.
Phil and Harley for volunteering to organize the 40th.  This was not an appointed role, these men asked for the burden and carried it.  We thank you for your help.
Amy, (Phil's Toys) thank you for taking the kids and keeping them safe and occupied so we could work the field.
Louise's Mom Virginia for watching the kids while we went Stampeding, fielding calls for lost people and picking up forgotten items and loose ends before meeting us in carlisle.
Scott and Teeda for stepping in and becoming close friends overnight.  For doing the cooking at the tent, for helping round up Stampeders along the way, for having a sense of humor and being good company.
Joe Escobar, you came a long way and as I write this, you still are not home yet.  I am proud to call you friend, you did a fabulous job documenting this whole thing.  I look forward to what will come of that footage. You sarcastic humor kept me centered, even when i made the occasional wrong turn.
Becky for believing in this trip enough to drive Ruby Red Hot all the way to Pennsylvania from California, you too are not home yet as this is written.  God Speed Ruby, you did good!
Jim and Doreen Madison for doing the 50/50 and raffle along the way.  Money was raised for the Wounded Warrior Project and we also raised $500 for the flight 93 memorial, this would not have happened without you.
Richard Metcalf for donating the watch for that flight 93 memorial 50/50. RYSCAR came down form Canada to ride with us, thanks.
Dave Young for meeting us and showing us Fort Riley, his Ranchero was a sweet ride, he may be in the next Stampede (did I say that?) his wife is thinking of getting a Pinto.
Ken and crew at Specs in Topeka for the warm reception, the donation, the press and an awesome 3lb. Burger.
Kansas Speedway and Jodi Esely who arranged for us to drive and lead us around the track. You guys rule!
Brace and Charlene Feldbush, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, we shed a few tears, I know I did. We will be doing more to help in the future, I am sure of it. May God Bless you and your son and all those you work so hard to help.
Aaron and Jim, your presence at Carlisle inspired allot of us.  Thanks for coming down, we hope to see you next year and for years to come. Jim, I hope that knee gets better soon, good luck with the operation.
Brian and Anita (NoForkin) for having a nice cold beer waiting for all of us at carlisle.  For helping me understand what i was up against from the start and for helping out with everything, like when I got the call that Tom Cogars Pinto was stranded outside the gates, you shot into action with a bunch of the guys and brought him back in. Congrats on the double award, you deserve it.
Bill Reiney for changing that timing belt when we got in, we were a little tired from the trip. That gave us a little time to have a cold one, I know Rod was appreciative.
Marianne Tellor, for the T-shirst, the cold drinks and the warm welcome at the St. louis Arch. I wish we had more time to speak, but things on this trip moved fast. You made us feel at home, Thank You.
Pintony, Thanks for meeting with the people at the Arch and arraning our visit, for making the changes when the first location got flooded and for meeting us outside St. Louis and bringing us in. Oh and thanks for the constant weather updates as we made our way toward Denver, we knew what to expect.
James Brockert, thanks for helping with the raffle in Denver.  It has been many years, you have a beautiful family and it was nice seeing that Maverick again.
Monica Belofrd, thanks for helping at the Wings over the Rockies kick off, awesome job.
To the husband and wife who run the Wonder Tower (sorry I do not have your names) thanks for the laughs, that place is awesome.
Too all those who rode with us on the Stampede, thanks for your patience (once again, as I took the occassional wrong turn) your cooperation and for your help.
If I forgot you, and I know when I send this someone or many of you will come to mind.  Thank You.
Many have asked me if we will do this again.  My response was mostly a stressed look. I don't know if we ever could repeat what happened.  The first is always one for the books, but I am not discounting another Pinto Stampede. For now, the Ponies need some well deserved rest, we put them away tired and wet.

dga57:
Jerry and Ester Chubbuck are the couple who operate the Wonder Tower in Genoa, Colorada.
 
Dwayne :smile:

Scott Hamilton:
40th Anniversary of the Pinto…

I was amazed at how many Pintos were present at the show. At last count we saw 64 Pintos either participating in the show- for sale or displayed in the T-building.  I personally counted 24 Pintos that participated in one leg of the Pinto Stampede. This was a history making event.

Almost six years ago, Harley Stewart (PintoMan) made the suggestion at the First PCCA meet in Pigeon Forge, TN to have us participate with the Carlisle All Fords show in PA which turned out to be the genesis of everyone’s effort on the East coast for years to come.  Bill Rainey (77turbopinto) started the dialog with Carlisle and Rick Marco with respect to the possibility of a 40th Anniversary celebration.  Phil Reynders (1600Pinto) and Harley Stewart picked up the baton to organize the details afterward.  Then, Norman Bagi (rear ended) had a game changing idea to organize a Pinto Stampede which was the key to making the 40th an unparalleled success. 

It was a pleasure to participate in the Pinto Stampede and to ride with 24 Pintos all in a row down the highway.  I was fortunate to have my wife, Stephanie, drive the truck with trailer for a couple of stints so I could drive my Pinto in the Stampede. I can’t remember having that much fun in a long time. The response was overwhelmingly positive from the Media to everyday motorists.  Everyone had wide smiles and was pleased to see so many Pintos in one place. We were quite the oddity but enjoyed every moment.

Here is a fun one- we all had to do a quick backtrack to get us on the right road and a large parking lot was chosen to pull through to get everyone turned around. The parking lot happened to be a Ford Dealership… gotta love Norm! About the time the 10th Pinto in the Stampede passed the glass showroom window, there was standing room only with all the dealership employees plastered to the glass.  I’m sure we were the highlight of their day if not the event everyone will remember for years to come.  As I have already said, the Pinto Stampede was key to the success of the Carlisle 40th Anniversary event.  Without it we would not have had the extraordinary participation and numbers.  Carlisle gave a big welcome when the Pinto Stampede rolled in on the last leg, so much so that they asked us to ‘restage’ in the order of our joining the Stampede and they filmed us entering the show field. One guy deserves our sincere gratitude from all the PCCA and Pinto Community. This was Norman Bagi’s idea and he was instrumental in organizing this event; getting the word out, doing the interviews, promoting the event, taking care of everyone during the trip and even staying behind , allowing his family to return home without him,  to assist a driver with issues on her car.  This guy went the extra mile and then some to make this happen!  I would also be amiss not to mention Louise, Norm’s wife. She was our foundation riding in the Horned ‘Support Vehicle’ truck at the rear making sure the stragglers got where they needed to be.  Norm was up front and Louise was taking up the rear to keep us in line.

Let me also say what a pleasure it was to ride for a cause. It was fantastic to extend the Stampede into a fund raising event for the Wounded Warriors Project.  Riding with all those Pintos was fantastic but adding the fact that we were helping the Wounded Warrior Project made it ‘right’. When we were able to meet Wounded Warriors, parents of wounded warriors, and project coordinators, talk with them and learn more about what we were supporting at various points on the Stampede, it really gave you a warm feeling and motivated everyone to do a little more.  We all felt empowered and willing to express the highest of standards in our manners, etiquette and commitment.  This cause united everyone together.
 
Guys, did you see some of the video streaming from the Stampede? Joe Escobar had his laptop in the passenger seat with an inverter the entire trip taking live video and streaming the same when cell data connections were available and uploading the archived vides when data coverage was not available. He was riding back in forth in the pack to make sure everyone was on camera and got their moment of glory.  Joe on the other hand was content to stay behind the camera and film this historic event. You could not have met a nicer guy who was also willing to help at the drop of a hat.  Joe flew out of Carlisle back home to see his son’s graduation and flew back afterward.  He missed the Carlisle Parade but provided a ‘stand in’ friend to parade his pinto so the numbers would be high.  Joe is a class act and one in a million!

Well, my family and I just arrived home after a week of camping after the week long Stampede/Carlisle event and I wanted to give a quick Yeah to everyone that helped with this unprecedented event.  A big thank you goes out to Phil and Harley for coordinating Carlisle and handling all the details.  Harley actually planned a couple more events and had awards ready but was unable to complete them due to the ‘packed schedule’ we all experienced.  Phil gave out the awards and really went to bat for all the pinto owners when we lined up for the parade (there was a break in the lines for the parade and Phil worked with the officials vigorously to get everything moved around so the Pintos could be together).

My heartfelt thank you to everyone that has contributed to this great event- you have accomplished much for all of us!

Scott Hamilton
WEBmaster@fordpinto.com

Pangra74:
Scott,

Thanks for the kind words. I never met a nicer bunch of people, and it was
very hard to leave everyone behind to be at my son's graduation.
It all worked out, flights were on time home and back to Carlisle, and the car
got us back home without even a hint of trouble. Only bummer for us was losing
my video and digital cameras on the flight from O'Hare to Harrisburg. Hopefully lost and found will come thru. Fortunately, no video footage or pics were lost and
were already on my computet. I have a lot of footage to edit and will have a film available soon for everyone.

Joe

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