Sandpiper news

Volks South 2010
For the past few years, the Suncoast Sandpipers have enjoyed the fellowship of Empire State Capitol Volkssporters (ESCV) Club (Albany, NY area) members who winter in Florida. Under the inspiration of Doug Reynolds, this “Volks South” group participates in a busy weekly schedule of year round events (YREs) from January through April, as well as enjoying regular events sponsored by clubs in the Tampa Bay area. Each fall, after arrival in their seasonal home, the friends gather to decide the schedule and to extend an open invitation to all Florida volkssporters to join any of their weekly walks.

The planning group is composed of Marion and Dave Averill, Jackie and Doug Reynolds, and Gail and Paul VanValkenburg, all members of both the ESCV and Sandpiper clubs. Some Group members help with the logistics and operations of the weekly walks. For example, Doug maintains electronic communications with those who join the Group’s Listservs by providing weekly e-mail reminders and updates and keeps in close coordination with the YRE monitors. Others arrive early to obtain the walk box and to ease the registration process. The emphasis is on leisurely enjoyment of friends and events, with lots of time for chats at the start and possible late arrivals. Participants all pause at rest breaks and always keep in mind needs of the slower walkers. Each event is followed by either a picnic or a visit to a local restaurant, ending the day with culinary enjoyment and close fellowship.

Please check the Volks South 2010 on our events page and make a New Year’s resolution to attend every event!