Only 2 Days Left! Last Chance to Shop the Reunion Store

It’s hard to believe October is almost here and we are only 2 days away from the Reunion Store closing. Besides this deadline, we have a few other important announcements to cover… hotel & registration deadlines, sponsorship, volunteers, sharing family pictures and event photographers. There’s a lot here, so please stay with me to the end – where a little fun awaits with a quiz to test your Oktoberfest knowledge!

• Online Store closes midnight, October 1
  • Click Roederer Reunion Store
  • Pick up ONLY at Reunion, no mailing option at this time
    • Cookbook Vol. 2 is SOLD OUT, but the waiting list is growing and if we get enough orders, we will run a second printing and have them available at the reunion. To reserve yours, email Rhonda@RoedererReunion.com

Breeder’s Cup fans will be pouring into Louisville the same weekend as our Reunion. Reserve your room ASAP.

• Hotel Room Block ends October 7
  • Click Lodging
  • Rooms $109/$129
• Registration closes October 11
  • NO WALK-INS or late registrants will be admitted; caterers require accurate head count
  • 3 options:  Fri/Sat… Sunday only… all 3-day events
  • Click Reunion Registration
  • Must be present to participate in Auction; check out Auction Preview

When we started planning this event over a year ago, a team of family members graciously offered to cater our Friday Meet & Greet. The original venue (Ramada Plaza) allowed outside food to be brought in; therefore, helping us keep our registration fees low. Our Friday event was essentially free of charge. This was the main selling point for initially choosing the Ramada.

Because we had to change host hotels to the Holiday Inn along with the Friday night venue, we now have an unexpected expense (~$2,500) for catering. It is Holiday Inn’s policy to NOT allow outside food and to use their catering service. So now we are looking for sponsors to help us reach our goal of $2,500. 

The chef has a delicious buffet planned for us and even asked if he could include one of his special German dishes that is not offered on their menu. Of course, I agreed! The team at Holiday Inn has been going that extra mile for us in so many ways. Our event is causing quite the buzz throughout the hotel staff and they are eager to help us kick off this fun-filled, family weekend.

You can send your donation to Rhonda Roederer, 6807 Louisville St., New Orleans, LA  70124. As a thank you for your generosity, we will show our appreciation in a couple of ways:

• For any donation of $100 or more, we will display your family name or company name proudly at the Friday Event, and
• Your family or company will have a permanent place in our advertising pages in the upcoming publication of “Remember When”, a collection of family remembrances.
• Please include your business card or company logo with your donation for us to use in the publication.

Any amount will be greatly appreciated in helping us offset this extra cost.

We are thrilled and honored that so many of you have graciously volunteered to help with this event. We have your names and will be reaching out to you soon to coordinate. We are hoping someone can help us with a couple of specific items:

• 2 computer monitors for the Genealogy Seminar (Saturday, Holiday Inn, Pegasus Room)
• Tour guide for a day for our German guests who are staying 2 weeks in Louisville (helpful if you can speak a little German). Contact me for more details of the exact days our special guests will be in town.

Gail Trout has offered to set up a photo sharing methodology/process which will be made available during the Reunion. We would love to have as many contributors as possible.Everyone loves looking at family pictures, especially those oldies like this treasure from 1887 of my immigrant gg-grandparents, Christian & Katharina Stuedle Roederer.

We realize people have pictures to share that are in a variety of formats (JPEG, TIFF, CD-ROM, flash drive, or hard copy). We want to have a plan in place to accept ALL files and be able to easily and efficiently convert them to a standard format and resolution. The best platform to share these pictures with everyone cannot be determined until we know what and how many files are being submitted. This is where you come in…

Please email Gail at troutgail@alumni.iu.edu (Subject: Roederer Reunion) and tell her your preference for photo submission. Several options have been discussed as to how to handle the various formats, which are best addressed on an individual basis with the submitter. This will be an ongoing project that launches NOW and will kick into high gear during the Reunion.

Have unidentified pictures? Share them, as well! With so many family members looking, we’re pretty confident the mystery will be solved for many of your nameless faces. More information to come on this exciting project… but first, get those family pictures together and then contact Gail ASAP for the next step.

We will have photographers, Anita and Gary Terry, documenting every moment of the weekend. For all 3 days, they will be taking candid pictures as well as “formal” pictures upon request. If you would like to have pictures of your family members, just grab one of them. They are here for YOU and will be happy to accommodate your requests. Great time to think about family photos for Christmas cards. The pictures taken will be available on a website within 2-3 weeks after the Reunion.

Several of you have asked about dress code. No particular attire necessary… be comfortable, but keep in mind pictures will be taken. On Sunday, Churchill Downs, requires “track casual”… jackets optional, vests, collared shirts, sweaters, dresses, pantsuits, dress jeans, slacks and capris are appropriate. Worn or torn garments, athletic wear, frayed or torn denim are considered inappropriate.

Whew! There is so much news to share as the excitement keeps building! We have about 170 attendees so far and that number grows daily.

• In what year did Oktoberfest originate?
• For what occasion did this celebration begin?
• Why does the majority of Oktoberfest happen in September?
• In what German city is this yearly festival held?
• How many days does the German Oktoberfest typically last?
• What US city has the largest Oktoberfest?