Meet the Pioneers – Another Sell out Year!
I am very happy to report that this year’s Meet the Pioneers Program on October 12 and 13, was a huge success playing to a sold out audience. The feedback from those attending was nothing short of total joy and praise for the wonderful and interesting stories as told by an amazing group of actors. As people were boarding the bus for the return trip to the Ticket & Boarding area, they were already asking for next year’s dates! What can I say but work on next year’s program will begin early in 2013 and Meet the Pioneers will be back on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12, 2013.
Cast of 2012 Meet The Pioneers. Photo by Bill Miller
The Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery would like to sincerely thank all those who attended this year’s tour and for supporting, not only our Meet the Pioneers Program, but our beautiful Pioneer Cemetery. Needless to say this program would not be possible without the support, dedication, and hard work of a huge volunteer workforce. Much appreciation to those who helped setup, clean-up and take down, sold tickets, handed out programs, directed traffic, boarded the bus with tour groups, guided groups around the cemetery, served refreshments to our Players, drove and made announcements on the bus, our Research Committee, and our Players. I must acknowledge three individuals who went beyond the call to help prepare and set up the cemetery grounds for the tours. Lee Siedlecki, Linda Kestner and Rob Buerk were just amazing with doing one thing and then saying ok “Boss” what’s next. It takes two full days to haul stuff and setup and these three individuals were there and gave 110% for which I am sincerely grateful.
Special mention and appreciation to the following People, Businesses and Organizations who helped us with this year’s event: Sandi, Maryl, and Terri at the Jacksonville Chamber and Visitor Center for handling ticket sales, The Staff & Residents of Pioneer Village for providing their bus and for being our first audience, Whit, Jo, and Andrea of the Jacksonville Review, paper and online, for their support and great job at promoting the tours, First Presbyterian Church for providing chairs for our guests to sit on, Ron Moore, Bill and Debbie Miller for their photo’s and DVD, Climate Control Mini Storage for the use of their truck, City of Jacksonville, Southern Oregon Historical & Rogue Valley Genealogical Societies and Library, The 4th Wednesday String Band and the Oregon Old Time Fiddlers, the Mail Tribune, Upper Rogue Independent, Grants Pass Daily Courier, 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, and to all our wonderful cemetery neighbors for their patience and understanding.
Thank you all for making this year’s Meet the Pioneers such a wonderful success and a beautiful gift to our community.
Dirk J. Siedlecki
President – FOJHC
This is great! How wonderful it is to have a community once again come together for such a fun event. Learned a-lot about the area. Thank you, can’t wait to see what’s in store next year!