Tournament Postponed
Dear GWAO Captains & Players,
The weather forecast for tonight and all day tomorrow is 100% chance of rain with up to an inch over the 36-hour period. With this news we have made the decision in concert with Lansdowne Resort to postpone the GWAO and play at a later date this summer. We will be confirming the new date soon.
Please be sure to let everyone on your team know of this decision and pass the word to others who may have planned to attend and may not be on our roster. If you have any comments or concerns, please let us know at: gwaotournament@aol.com.
We greatly appreciate your support and we look forward to seeing everyone soon at the 24th Annual GWAO at Lansdowne. Fore a Great Time...Fore a Great Cause!
GWAO Board of Directors
23rd Annual GWAO Raises $104,000 for Charity
The 23rd Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open, held on Monday, April 25th, 2011 at the beautiful Lansdowne Resort raised $104,000 to support the great work of the Corporate Angel Network and the Veterans Airlift Command.
This year the GWAO was honored to have FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt come and conduct a roundtable breakfast with approximately 40 early birds. The hour-long discussion offered some frank and open comments from the Administrator and participants on the major air traffic, safety and funding issues facing the aviation industry. We are encouraged by the participation and we certainly will look forward to repeating this dialog with Randy next year.
At registration, everyone was pleased to be presented with the tournament gift of Maui Jim sunglasses sponsored by FlightSafety International. With a variety of sizes and styles everyone went out on the course looking sharp. Perhaps the Maui Jim sunglasses also resulted in the record number of old sunglasses left at the tournament this year?!
On a very warm and sunny day, the GWAO tournament was played on the well known Robert Trent Jones course at Lansdowne. The refreshment carts and stations provided ample nourishment to the players that came from all across the United States to participate. The play was a little slow due to extra foursomes placed on the single course, but this will be remedied next year as we expand to the Greg Norman course.
The sweet sounds of the CAISO Steel Pan Band were playing by the time everyone finished their round. The raw bar, open bar served to quench the thirst and enhance the stories of everyone's fine day on the links with their industry peers. In order to keep the program on schedule, everyone was escorted into the buffet dining area where the silent auction packages of hotels and resorts were still on display and gathering more bids.
The raffle began with everyone focused on the three iPADS II's listed in the Grand Auction. Before the final drawing, the winners of the tournament were announced and properly presented with wonderful gifts and prizes. As the accolades and applause subsided, the live auction began with incredible business class international airline tickets and first-class domestic tickets donated by the most prestigious airlines in the world. It was a raucous time as the auction brought out the competitive spirit in the crowd and bidders. At the conclusion of the live auction a record amount was raised for the tournament.
Before the final Grand Prize Drawing, the proceeds were calculated and the large checks presented to the Corporate Angel Network and the Veterans Airlift Command. Representatives of both organizations were joined by the GWAO Board of Directors for the greatest photo opportunity at the event.
Following the presentation, the final drawings for the iPAD II's were made and three very happy participants went home with a little something extra from the GWAO.
All were wished a fond farewell with promises to return on Monday, May 14th 2012 to Lansdowne Resort for the 24th Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open.
The GWAO Tournament Committee
