!!! The first IN-PERSON EVENT OF 2021 !!! 🐠
We enjoyed the Fall tailgate event so much, we decided to do it all over again this Spring.
In place of our customary Spring All-Day Auction we will be holding an informal, outdoor, in-person marketplace event in the spacious parking lot of the Emmaus United Church of Christ in Vienna, VA (same location as last time).
The event is free and open to the public.
Date: SUNDAY, April 18, 2021
Time: 12 - 1 pm seller set-up, 1 - 4 pm marketplace is open, everyone out by 4 pm
Where: Emmaus United Church of Christ, 900 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA
Fees: None at all, no entrance fee, no sellers fee, no MyGroupAuctions
What: Sellers can sell anything at the marketplace that they could normally sell in an auction or tag sale
Who: PVAS members can sell, anyone can buy
How: Sellers may post their items and prices in the Forum under Fish Mongers just as if they were selling items for pick-up at a monthly meeting. Buyers can pre-order. Sellers can bring additional items not pre-ordered for sale as if it were a tag sale. Do it your way!
Rain Date: We'll cross that bridge if we come to it
The club will not be providing anything but the venue. Sellers can bring tables, chairs, and canopies if they like, or just sell out of their cars. Do it your way!
Fish Health: Buyers and sellers should be prepared to shelter their live purchases (including plants) from temperature swings as this will be an outdoor event and the weather could be cool. Also, be aware that many people are currently using larger than normal quantities of hand sanitizer which can be deadly to fish and shrimp. Use extra precautions when taking purchases home by washing your hands and fish bags to remove anti-microbials before floating bags in aquaria and unbagging animals and plants.
People Health: Masks and social distancing of at least 6' will be required, no exceptions. Every person has a different risk profile relative to contagious disease such as COVID-19. Members or their family at home may fall into high risk categories. Each person should make their own decisions about how much and what kind of interaction they would like to have with others above and beyond masks and social distancing, and everyone should respect those decisions. For example, a seller may prefer to sell out of their car by handing purchases out of their window, or by placing them on the curb outside their vehicle to minimize person-to-person contact. To avoid confusion, sellers should consider putting up a sign with special instructions if they don't want people approaching them. Do it your way!
Donations: The Treasurer (Michael) will have a table set up with items donated to the club for sale. If you would like to donate items to PVAS, please drop them off there. Also, Michael will be collecting donations for the PVAS Foundation. He will also have details for those who wish to donate to Project Amazonas through the Global Giving initiative.
Can't wait to see everyone.
Thanks Patchin for all your work, it was a great event!
Hi Everyone,
We had a another fun Tailgate event yesterday. It was fun to see actual real people instead of talking heads on a screen. Waa socializing in the pre-pandemic world so exhausting? Anyone remember? :)
Many thanks to Frank and Carol Cowherd and Becca Goldring who donated cash.
Thank you to the many people who donated items to the club for us to sell. Between the cash donations and item sales we were able to cover the cost of renting the parking lot plus some. Michael was also able to raise funds for the PVAS Foundation through cash donations (thank you again Becca) and sales of items he provided to raise funds.
We will be resuming our Zoom virtual meetings for May and June. On Saturday, May 1 Michael Lucas will present "Butterflies in the Water: Discovering Hydroflox Shiners." On Saturday, June 5, Johnathon Butkus will present "Filtration."
The Board of Directors will be conducting a Zoom meeting on Saturday, May 22 from 2 - 4 pm to discuss programming and budgeting for the remainder of the year. Obviously, the top-of-mind question is "when can we start meeting in person again?" As stated in prior communications, we will follow all CDC and State of VA public health guidance, but we also reserve the right to be more cautious should we feel circumstances warrant it.
We were able to get feedback from many different members on the criteria they would personally use in deciding whether or not to attend a club meeting or event held indoors. No surprise that the feedback ranged from "let's meet tomorrow" to "perhaps not this year" as well as criteria relating to vaccination and transmission rates and the appearance of new, potentially more dangerous variants. If you would like to attend all or part of the board meeting, please let Susan (our Recording Secretary) or me know and we will get you the link.
Here's hoping that the vaccines work a charm, and we can meet again sooner rather than later.
Glad you enjoyed it.
It was nice to see everyone today. This was a great event!
Don't let me leave without paying up
I will be there to collect dues for 2021. Please remember that we have fixed costs regardless of whether we meet or not. The membership fees will help in a small way to off set those costs.
Thanks
Susan
what are some things that are considered for donatons? are there Thank you but NO Thank you?
For example I changed my fish food and have unopened unexpired Tetra food flakes?
Look forward to properly introducing myself, and joining the club
FYI, GWAPA will have a table at the Tailgate Event loaded with aquatic plants. This will be a great opportunity to pick up some rare and unusual plants.