Wow - 2400 members and adding more every day! We aren't even pushing red-line yet!! Things are really going great here at the Registry! What is truly amazing is that the number one statement we hear almost every day is, "I just found about you guys!" or "I didn't know the Registry existed until my friend told me." So there are still people out there who don't know about us and are missing out on all the great fun we have!

To combat this problem and to further our goal of providing our members with the best possible Registry there is, we have developed a C5 Registry "mini-application." It provides a simple way for members to inform other C5 owners of our great group. Chaz Cone [C5R #W0526] is the "wizard" behind this great idea! He helped create a simplified application designed to fit in the glove box of your C5. When you are cruisin' the highways and see a C5 without a Registry decal (of course I recommend you best wait until they bring the beast to a halt) you can slide one of these applications under the windshield wiper! Way to go, Chaz!! Be sure and put your name and C5 Registry number on it so we can give you credit. We will recognize those members who help deliver the C5 message! I continue to appreciate all the help we receive from our members in passing the word along about what a great group we have; I hope this just makes it easier!

The Birthday Bash was FABULOUS! I originally had my doubts about being able to be there, when at 11 PM Sunday night I went to the emergency room with what I thought was a looming heart attack (Peta and I were planning on driving our new '99 C5 convertible up to the NCM that next morning!) Long story short - Wednesday I was discharged with the promise if we waited 24 hours and FLEW to Kentucky we could attend. We were also relieved to discover that I had not had a heart attack and I want to thank all the many members who responded with their prayers and best wishes. I was playing catch-up from the moment I arrived, however ~ you, the members ~ made up for any shortcomings in enthusiasm, good spirits and a "get it done" attitude! It was really you, the C5 Registry members, who held this one together and made it happen!

Now back to the exciting Birthday Bash! We had over 600 Registry members in attendance . . . doubling last year's attendance! We raised over $70,000 in net revenue for the National Corvette Museum. To see our members making such a commitment simply reflects the true dedication and warm generous spirit of all! I am unbelievably proud of this great organization!

In spite of the cold weather everyone seemed to have a "warm" time! A HUGE C5 THANKS to everyone who came and shared their C5 enthusiasm with the Museum and GM ~ they couldn't say enough about the tremendous excitement among our members. We have really blown them away!!

It is with great pleasure that I give out some BIG C5 Registry THANK YOU'S . . . to Ed Duprey [C5R #W0276] for donating the Corporate Member Plaques that we presented. Ed does so much to help us and I really want the membership to know how much we here at the Registry appreciate him! Once again to Chaz Cone [C5R #W0526] for keeping our membership list current. He was also there to help us keep track of members at the Bash and was always willing to fill in at the C5 Registry desk. A final thank you to the throng of C5 Registry members who helped at the check-in during the C5 Birthday Dinner on Friday night and to so many other members who helped out in many ways, shapes, and forms over the weekend ~ we couldn't have done it without you!

An important C5 Registry first occurred during this year's Birthday Bash ~ Two GM Customer Service Representatives attended with their on-line computers to assist members with any C5 issues they had! Do you know of any other car company who comes to the customer?

To me, the highlights of the Bash were the "Big Thank You" at the Bowling Green Plant on Friday, the Women's Seminar, Drag Racing and Road Tours . . . but the most fun of all had to be the auction Saturday night. And once again it was shown that Jake Drennon "takes the cake" this time literally!

Congratulations go out to Jeff Corbel [C5R #W0315] who won the Sunday morning drag racing! His top performing C5's winning time was 12.75@110.03 mph.

I learned from Corvette Brand Manager, Jim Campbell's office, that the video from the "Big Thank You" at the Bowling Green Plant was sent out via satellite to over 60 television stations which requested the footage for their newscasts! We hope to have a complete copy of the video available sometime in the fall. For those of you who were unable to make this year, save the date now! Don't miss next year's Millenium Birthday Bash, April 14-16, 2000!

I keep telling members, the way to get the most value out of your C5 Registry membership is to be involved. By going to C5 Registry functions and being on the C5 Net, members receive the most bang for their buck! We have a number of events coming up throughout the rest of the year. Next is Corvettes at Carlisle, PA ~ August 27-29, 1999. We will have the traditional C5 Dinner and Corral! We will also be at the BIG Five Year Anniversary NCM Labor Day Celebration (which just happens to also be the 2^nd Anniversary of the C5 Registry!) and at the Petite LeMans Race at Road Atlanta ~ September 17-18,1999. Remember, the best place to keep up to date on future events is to stay tuned to the Events page http://www.c5registry.com/events.htm As soon as we have information on any event the Registry is involved in, it is posted to this page!

It's official!! I am proud to announce we will be at the San Diego Grand Prix in San Diego, CA ~ November 5-7, 1999, especially for all of our West Coast and Southwest members! We have a full weekend planned beginning with seminars all day Friday with GM personnel such as Dave Hill, John Cafaro, Jim Minneker and others.

It wouldn't be a C5 Registry Party without a dinner on Friday night. We will be there with the race teams including Corvette drivers! Saturday we will all be watching practice laps in preparation for Sunday's big race. It will give all West Coast members a chance to meet and greet the GM brass, the drivers and your fellow Registry members. We may even bring out a surprise or two from the Midwest! See, we have a busy year planned!

We have unveiled a new T-shirt design, our Official 2^nd Edition, "I Still Play With Cars." None other than the Bowling Green Plant Manager, Wil Cooksey, introduced it at our Birthday Bash. By popular demand, we have added another item. It is the "I Still Play With Cars" C5 Registry hat! An order blank with pictures of all our items can be found on our Official Apparel page http://www.C5registry.com/Clothing/index.htm Judging from the initial reaction, (the T-shirt table was mobbed at the Bash!) they were very well received!

There will be more C5 Registry items available in the future. One I am excited about is the C5 Registry Floor Mats by Lloyd (Part Number 37887 @ $112.50/pr Registry Member Price). They have the C5 Registry logo custom embroidered onto both front mats and, if you request it, your C5 Registry number. These will be available through Eckler's. Call them at 1-800-327-4868.

Just a reminder to everyone, the C5 Registry logo is trademarked and cannot be used without the written consent of the C5 Registry. Please submit a written request if you have a product bearing our trademarked name or logo. Currently those with approval are Great Lakes Trophies & Engraving and Chaz Cone.

By now many of you have had a chance to talk with or meet our new addition to the C5 Registry crew, Marisa Hirsche. Marisa is in the office on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Saturday mornings. If you need to get an answer to something, please try and call the office then. With Marisa's help, we are actually answering e-mails and responding to phone calls in a pretty timely manner! One special note: Registry Members please include your Registry Number when you send an e mail or letter. It is our policy to answer Registry Members with numbers FIRST. So if you have a question, give us a call or send us an e-mail! Again, there is also an answering machine to take your calls any other time of the day!

C5Ya! Till Next Time……DAN
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