OUR 34TH WEEKLY UPDATE REGARDING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, SOME HELPFUL STATISTICS, AND MORE RELAXING ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOU TO ENJOY
FRIDAY, October 30
FROM CHRIS KRARAS
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
“IT IS BETTER TO SEE SOMETHING ONCE, THAN TO HEAR ABOUT IT A THOUSAND TIMES!”
Dear Friends:
So, as we approach one of the more important weeks of the year, first of all, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Yes, Halloween was created to entertain young children and to allow them to go out and get some “special treats”, as they visit door to door. However, as we all know, this year is quite a bit different. In most places, there are many warnings carefully describing how our young people can, in fact, engage in some degree of “Trick or Treating”, but with much caution. For some of us older people around the United States, we feel that we have been, in a sense, HALLOWEENING for the last eight months. By that, I mean that we have been wearing masks all of this time, and I can hardly recognize people anymore behind their masks. I have found a little bit of humor in watching everyone get more and more creative with things that they have either designed or printed on their masks. But every time, it still accentuates the severity of this pandemic, and the need to protect ourselves in every possible way.
I thought I would start this letter by first showing you a brief video that comes to us from Fort Wilderness Campground located in Disney World in Florida. As you may know, Fort Wilderness Campground is a huge and very popular destination for thousands of people who not only visit Disney World, but who often take up residence there for months at a time. Unbeknownst to me, and maybe to many of you, the residents who camp at Fort Wilderness Campground on an annual basis take a lot of pride in decorating in and around their Campground Sites. One of the holidays that they enjoy creating these beautiful decorations for happens to be Halloween. So, I have a video for you to enjoy that shows you the incredible decorations these residents take the time and expense to put up in celebration of this great holiday. Click here to enjoy a real mindless, but very impressive and enjoyable tour around the Fort Wilderness Campground this month.
On a more somber note, pandemic numbers appear to be rising over the last couple weeks, and it certainly creates somewhat increasing concerns amongst everyone around the country. However, as I have said so many times over the last few weeks, you must temper that concern with the fact that although the numbers are going up, along with the number of tests that are being taken, the severity of Covid-19 has somewhat been reduced as the year has worn on. Certainly, the people who died from the results of Covid-19 has dwindled to just a small percentage of where they were at one time. This certainly is not to infer in any way that we are completely out of the woods. As a matter of fact, it continues to be a serious concern to all of us. But I, for one, am encouraged by the fact that every report is indicating that we are very close to that long awaited vaccine that will, hopefully, be the answer that we have been looking for. So, like you, I am very concerned and I ask you to join me in keeping a positive outlook and looking forward to brighter days when we can just look back on the Year 2020 as something that we experienced and hope that we will never experience again. As leaders that we all are, it is important that we keep a very positive influence on all those who take their lead from us.
Last week, once again, we had several Groups that were out on the road from different parts of the country and that got to enjoy some of the beauty of our country – especially during this period of time that we commonly call FALL FOLIAGE. Pictured below is a Group from Michigan who enjoyed a tour to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and actually got a chance to get to walk on one of the trails for a short distance and enjoy the beautiful and fresh atmosphere that can be found in the Smoky Mountains. (I do want to note that the Group Leader who took this picture mentioned to us that the Group Members took their masks off just for this picture and generally had masks on during the entire trip.) At any rate, they are still in the Smoky Mountains and all the reports are that they are having a fabulous time and seeing sights that they thought they would never get to see.
This coming week is certainly a big week for all of us as we approach the General Elections for many of the Leaders of the United States and also our State and Local Government. This has certainly been a maddening last few months with Politics being at the top of the News every day over these many weeks. So, at least I think it is important for all of us to go out and cast a ballot and then hope that the people who are elected will, in fact, take care of all of us and do the very best they can at whatever level of Government and whatever Office that they are seeking. It is during times like this when the decisions are made, from whatever Political Party they might be part of and from any candidate, that we all join in prayer that they get the direction to look after this beautiful country that we call the United States and all of us who are her citizens. Remember to vote!
Again, I want to thank so many of you for taking the time to talk to our White Star Staff as they call each and every one of your homes and go over some wonderful opportunities for travel in 2021. You have all been so gracious in taking that time and most of you have, in fact, put trips in place for 2021 and have received flyers to be ready to distribute to all your Group Members once it becomes safer to travel in the next few weeks. Again, remember that when you talk to our Staff, you are under no obligation at all. And please understand that we are merely doing our very best to help you bring about some positive and exciting opportunities for your Group Members going forward. Thank you again!
So, in closing, I have one more wonderful piece of entertainment that I think you will enjoy. You may know that in Myrtle Beach, SC there are many incredibly beautiful entertainment venues that produce some of the finest shows that you will find anywhere in the United States. Once such venue is called the Alabama Theatre, and if you Click Here, you will be able to see some outstanding highlights of their production of the “LION KING”. Enjoy!
AS WE ENTER INTO THIS EXCITING NEXT FEW DAYS, I WISH YOU ALL CONTINUED GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS FOR YOU AND ALL YOUR FAMILIES AND I PRAY THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
A QUOTE FROM BENJAMIN DISRAELI: “LIKE ALL GREAT TRAVELERS, I HAVE SEEN MORE THAN I REMEMBER, AND I REMEMBER MORE THAN I HAVE SEEN!”
