OK EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS. If you read nothing else, read this!
First off, if you want to help with events, offer to help with events. This does not just mean casually offering to help. It means volunteering time by asking what time you should show up early to help for such-and-such event, what you can bring, and how much fun we are going to have. With Allan and Jana gone now, we're in a weird grey period for event planning, so please don't mistake the 'secretiveness' for me just doing whatever I can to get the shit done.
I care deeply about this car community, and for this to be brought up as on objection to a $5 event fee is seriously a punch to the kidneys. You want to know why? Guess who else is paying $5 per car? KRACKA AND SCHEIDES. If Anna went and drove her own car like last fall, guess who else would be paying? Anna. You guys are suggesting that I just keep 'all this money' and just waste it.
Quick math: if 20 cars show up @ $5/ each, that's a grand total of $100. I spent MORE than half of that on gas for the bomber (route planning) run. It should also cover the cost of these packets we are putting together. I made them for free last fall out of the goodness of my heart, and if you can honestly tell me that you cannot afford $5 for an event, but have put elbow grease and major time into your car just so you can make it, then I WILL PAY YOUR WAY. I would rather not have to make long winded posts like this and remind people (and question myself) why I spend so much of my personal time and $$ on this site.
Think back to when I first started taking over the site. I had 'awesome' prizes for the dyno day back in 2005 at LSE. They were meager, but we had fun with them! Each event they get a little better and better as I figure out how to basically convince Anna(and myself) to let me spend more and more $$ on prizes and less on site hosting/maintenance.
So, naysayers, I am now paying your way to come on this cruise. M///guy, turbotalon1g and perhaps a few others above. If you feel guilty about it, buy me a beer in LaCrosse.
If that's not putting my money where my mouth is, I don't know wtf else I can do. Just please come, so we can have a good time together--that is the MF'ing point!