SLAA NEWSLETTER June/July 2016
President’s Corner
Well, as summer gives its last couple of gasps and the leaves actually start turning, fall begins. I’ve smelled bonfires on the wind and enjoyed the few crisp mornings and am looking forward to sweaters, boots, and the rapidly approaching holiday season. I’ve yet to start my Christmas shopping, but more on that later…
Save the Date – July 20th Meeting
Clang, clang, clang went the Trolley. Ding, ding, ding went the bell. Trolleys will soon be returning to St. Lou.
Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, July 20th, 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., for an update on the Loop Trolley project. Chris Poehler, District Administrator at the Loop Trolley TDD, will be our guest speaker and the Missouri History Museum and Bixby’s will be our gracious hosts. The July Meeting will also feature the 2016 Carole Moody Scholarship Presentation.
Thank You to Our Sponsor
Congratulations!
Thank you to everyone that purchased raffle tickets at the May meeting. A big THANK YOU to Ballpark Village and Madden Media for our Trip Raffle Prizes. Congratulations to the winners!
| Trip Raffle | 50/50 Raffle |
| Chris Diel National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows |
Tami Goldman Missouri History Museum |
We never stop collecting donations for the Trip Raffles, so if you would like to donate something and have your business featured in the Trip Raffle, please contact Brooke Emshoff or Kelly Hutchison. Thank you for donating to SLAA!
Thank You!
Eckert’s was our generous host for a well-attended and informative meeting on Wednesday, May 18th. In addition to the delicious fried chicken (rumor has it that Eckert’s has the best, finger-licking fried chicken in the Metro), attendees were also treated to an update on events and happenings from our partners with ILLINOISouth and we learned what is new in the Lou from our friends at Explore St. Louis. One attendee provided positive feedback following the presentation: “Nice round of networking time, great atmosphere and food, and informative, to-the-point speakers.”
Special thank you to Eckert’s Belleville Country Store & Farms and our informative guest speakers, Dan Krankeola and team from ILLINOISouth and Brian Hall and team with Explore St. Louis. For those SLAA members and guests that were in attendance, don’t forget to take advantage of your ILLINOISouth exploration incentives – FREE tickets to the Gateway Grizzles, $10 gas cards to cross the Mighty Mississippi and FREE passes to NASCAR at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Thank You to Our May Meeting Host
Featured Attraction – Black Madonna Shrine & Grottos
The Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos is a shining example of what one man with faith can achieve. Located in the beautiful foothills of the Ozarks, the peaceful, refreshing atmosphere is a welcome tonic for the body as well as the soul.
The Shrine is the creation of Brother Bronislaus Luszcz, a founding member of the Franciscan Missionary Brothers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Brothers emigrated from their native Poland in 1927 to Saint Louis at the invitation of Cardinal John Glennon to open a nursing home for men.
In 1937 Bronislaus cleared a piece of land in what we now refer to as the LaBarque Foothills and erected a cedar wood chapel. The chapel was destroyed by an arsonist in 1957.
Over a period of 23 years Bronislaus created a series of rock grottos dedicated to Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Mother Mary and Saints Joseph and Francis. He passed away while working on a grotto to Our Lady of Fatima, August 1960.
The grottos are constructed of Tiff (the slag from the barite mines which were 35 miles southwest in Old Mines, Missouri), and were created by re-purposing many discarded items from the nursing home. He then would use items sent to him from the foreign missions or pilgrims here in the United States, decorating them with seashells, costume jewelry and many discarded items.
The open air Chapel of the Hills contains mosaics from world renown artist Frederick Henze and three copies of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Czestochowa. A mosaic image created by Mr. Henze, a painting done in 1960 to replace the painting which was destroyed in the Cedar Wood Chapel fire and third representation believed to be approximately 200 years old. The original painting is located in Czestochowa, Poland.
We Need Your Help!
June is here, and that means it’s time to start planning the 2016 Silent Auction! We are starting to come up with ideas for the auction this year, and we need YOUR HELP! If you are interested in being on the Auction Committee, please contact Brooke Emshoff at (314) 621-7625 or brooke_emshoff@hardrock.com. We would like to have as much help as possible to make this the best auction ever!
Last year we focused on collecting “Experiences,” and we would love to have those again this year. But…we’re also adding a new category – YOU! Are you good at landscaping? Do you sew? Are you an excellent baker? Do you have talents or skills others would find valuable? Donate your skills or time to the auction! For example, Brooke crochets and is planning to donate a blanket to the auction, and we know the other members of the Board have some talents and skills they are donating as well. Keep an eye on your email for more information about this, or contact Brooke if you have questions.
Would You Like to Host a SLAA Meeting?
The Saint Louis Attractions Association is seeking members who wish to host the organization’s bi-monthly meetings for the 2017 program year. SLAA is also seeking a host for the annual Silent Auction, which is held in November, and is the primary fundraiser for the Carole Moody Scholarship. If you are interested in hosting a meeting, please review the Request for Proposal found at the link below and return via the online form by July 31, 2016.
Sponsor a Meeting
Friendly reminder to get your meeting sponsorship month secured while dates are still available.
For only $200, you can sponsor a SLAA membership meeting, and get the word out about your business or promote your upcoming events. This could be a great opportunity to update fellow SLAA members about something new, promote your business to fellow members, share upcoming events, explanation of your organization, and more! Sponsorship of a SLAA meeting includes:
- The opportunity to greet incoming guests at the door
- Four minutes to speak at the meeting about your organization
- A reserved table to distribute your organization’s materials
- The opportunity to distribute your organization’s materials on each individual table
- Recognition as a sponsor on email meeting notices
- Recognition in the bi-monthly newsletter
Click here to download the sponsorship agreement form. Still have questions? Contact the SLAA office at (314) 416-2233 or info@stlattractions.org for additional information.
Help Us Sell SLAA
Positive testimonials and word of mouth marketing from current members are some of the best ways for us to get the word out about the benefits of joining the Saint Louis Attractions Association. Please be sure to share your positive SLAA experiences with others. If you know someone who would benefit from being a member of SLAA, please let the Membership Committee know. They would be happy to reach out to any prospective members to help them learn more about our great organization. To reach the Membership Committee, please contact Laura Brahan at laura@mhcvb.com or Sue Albers at sue@destinationstlouis.com.
Submit Your Nomination for the 2016 Spirit of St. Louis Awards!
Nominations for the Spirit of St. Louis Awards are accepted year-round. The purpose of the Spirit of St. Louis Awards is to honor those members of the attractions and hospitality industry who go the extra mile and put forth exemplary effort in helping to further the goals and objectives of the industry and the Saint Louis Attractions Association. The Association recognizes these noteworthy achievements each year at the January meeting.
Eligible nominees may have served in any of a variety of positions, ranging from front-line service to management, at an attraction, hotel, restaurant, or with any other associated or affiliated industry. Both members and non-members of SLAA are eligible to receive awards; however, nominations must be submitted by a SLAA member. You are welcome to make unlimited nominations.
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