Connecticut Society Participates in the
National Cherry Blossom Festival
This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival marks the centennial celebration of the original gift of 3,000 cherry trees by the City of Tokyo, Japan to the people of Washington, DC in 1912. Since 1948, the National Conference of State Societies (NCSS) has been the sponsoring organization for the Cherry Blossom Festival Princesses who represent their respective states or territories during the Festival.
Scott Morris, NCSS Board Member and a Connecticut State Society Board Member for nearly ten years, is co-chairing the annual Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, April 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Tidal Basin at Independence Avenue and 17th Street, S.W., near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Connecticut Cherry Blossom Princess Katherine Grady of West Hartford, all other state cherry blossom Princesses, and National Cherry Blossom Queen Allison Speaker of West Virginia will be in attendance.
The NCSS-sponsored festival is being held on April 7-14. For more information on the Cherry Blossom Princess events, go to the official NCSS website at www.statesocieties.org. For more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival, in general, go to www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.
2012 Gold Cup Races
The Connecticut Society will host the our 16th annual Virginia Gold Cup outing. Please join us on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at Great Meadows in the Plains, Virginia. This all-day spring outing in the beautiful rolling Virginia countryside to view a traditional steeplechase is a very popular event and always a sell-out. Click here to register.
Connecticut Society members can join us for $75 and non-members for $100. If you are not a member and would like to join, you can join us at the races and become a member of the Society for a special $90 rate. This low price covers transportation, all you can eat and drink, and the reservation of the rail-side tent. Online payment preferred.
Charter buses will take Connecticut Society members and their guests on a 45- minute scenic drive to Great Meadows. Upon arrival, Nutmeggers will receive admission to the Connecticut Society chalet tent, which will feature a premier view of the action, plus catered food and drink! The buses will leave Washington, D.C. on May 5 promptly at 10:00 a.m., and will depart Great Meadows after the last race. This event is rain or shine.
Give DC Schools a Hand on Sat., May 19
In an effort to give back to our home away from Connecticut, we will be participating in Hands on DC for the sixth year in a row and hope that you will join us in making a difference for the city's school children.
This year's service day will take place on Saturday, May 19 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Visit our registration page for Hands on DC to sign up to join the CT Society team today or contact Meg Staley by Friday, April 27 for more information!
Honor Connecticut Veterans at the American Warrior Day of Honor on Sat. May 26
We will also be lending a hand for the American Warrior Day of Honor. On Saturday May 26, approximately 100 World War II veterans from Connecticut are taking an all-expenses-paid day trip to Washington, DC to see the memorial honoring them. This trip is organized and provided by American Warrior, which is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Norwich.
DC participants will take part in a welcome ceremony at National Airport, as well as helping guide veterans as they visit the WWII Memorial and other DC locations. DC volunteers will be paired with a Connecticut Guardian and two or three veterans for the day, and will have a guaranteed seat on the bus with their assigned veterans. This is also a unique chance to spend time with these American heroes and hear their stories, and their experiences, first hand.
The time commitment is roughly 9:30 am - 6:30 pm on Saturday, May 26. Please note that AmericanWarrior asks that DC participants donate $25 to help offset the cost of a customized T-Shirt, additional coach bus, lunch, and lanyard ID.
Registration is required by April 27. Click here to register for this special event.
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