What the Randy Smith Means to Me
As we come upon the 14th anniversary of the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic, we have asked members of the trade show industry to share their thoughts and impressions of what the Randy Smith has meant to them. We are sharing this collection of thoughts with our industry peers knowing that if you have attended this event even once since its inception you have been touched as well.
Katie Hull, Czarnowski
Atlanta
I was in high school when my father (Geoffrey Winslow) got
the news of Randy Smith's tragic accident, as his employer
at IDEAS, he was deeply saddened and concerned for the
Smith family. After graduating college, I was taken under
Rich Johnson's wing at IDEAS/Folio. He
appointed me to be the Event Coordinator for the
2000 RSMGC. I was away in college as the annual
tournament had come into full swing, so this was going to be my
first RSMGC experience. I was excited for the opportunity, but
little did I know what I had just agreed to undertake.
Work was pushed aside for weeks; long hours at the office were
now spent on the RSMGC. It was an overwhelming
task to say the least. It wasn't until the
emotionally draining banquet that I truly grasped the
importance of this event. I was ultimately reminded of
what all my hard work was for - the recipients. I
thank Rich for letting me be a part of something so
special.
I continue to attend and being at the RSMGC is still as emotional as ever. For one day, our entire industry focuses on the importance of giving. It's a reminder that we're all in this together and we take care of our own. And for that one day, it's all that matters.
Rodney Brannon,
Hi-Tech
Every year the RSMGC continues to bring our industry together as a family. The support, generosity and dedication shown by so many amazes me as this isn’t just a local event, it’s a nationwide gathering to help those in our industry community. Opening the RSMGC flier each year to read of the year’s recipients is a humbling experience. It’s reassuring to know that this organization wouldn’t hesitate to step in to help my family if I was ever in the same situation.
Bob Prihoda, 3D
Exhibits
The Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic is the most meaningful
annual event for our industry. It is the one opportunity for
our community to share the blessings we have achieved from the
exhibit industry with those that have come on hard times,
financially and emotionally. For those recipients that I have
had the pleasure of knowing, one consistent message comes
through - the families are overwhelmed by the generosity and
understanding provided by the Randy Smith participants and
sponsors. The best gift they receive is not financial, but the
support and love demonstrated by Rich Johnson and the rest of
his industry peers.
Dave Walens, Brumark
The RSMGC means giving back to an industry that I have grown
up in for almost 25 years. Knowing the contributions and
efforts I put forth in support of the RSMGC go directly to
families in serious need is the most satisfying and direct way
for me to give back. The RSMGC is the heart and soul of the
exhibit industry. Seeing the industry come together in support
these families is something very, very special and can only be
experienced by attending this unbelievable event.
Tom Kendrew, Champion Logistics Group Boston
To me the Randy Smith means an opportunity to give back to an
industry that has been good to me. I was first introduced to
the event when a fellow Champion employee, Bruce Carl, passed
away and his family was selected as a beneficiary. Having been
to many golf tournaments over the years, I had a pretty good
idea of how the day would go. I couldn’t have been more
wrong. Not only was the day of camaraderie like nothing I had
ever experienced, the banquet, film and presentation was so
incredibly moving that I found myself telling people about it
for a long time afterward. The Randy is truly an opportunity to
help people that may have at one time or another unknowingly
helped me. As much as it is a charity, it is also a day for the
people who treat each other like family all year long to come
together and demonstrate what family really means.
Nicole Klein, Exhibit Expressions
You know, the first year I volunteered, I really didn’t
have a clue what the event was TRULY about…someone asked
me to help out and I said “sure”. That first
year, I wore my volunteer badge, did my jobs and had some fun
seeing friends…later that night, when I learned the
stories of the recipients I really GOT it.
This event can and should touch everyone in our industry as a
whole. Because it’s about coming together to
help those who need help during their most difficult
times. It’s not about the golf, it’s about
the collective money and arms we raise to lift up those who
need our support. Through the RSMGC we come together as a
common force of good and I consider myself deeply honored to be
a part of this powerful movement.
Hey Rich,
I am hoping you can get some rest now at least until next
year. I am still processing all that we experienced in
Atlanta and I don't think I could have imagined that it
would be as comforting as it was. I was very nervous about it
until we got there and could feel the care and love
that total strangers had for our family. Thank you
doesn't express how grateful we are for everything we
experienced.
You are a visionary with a tender heart as big as the state of
Georgia.
We thank you so much. I will call Lee next week.
Gratefully and with love,
Debbie Adams
Rich,
You put on a wonderful event. The course was fantastic and we
all had a great time. It was nice getting out of the office and
spending some time with fellow employees in a relaxed
environment.
It is nice knowing that there are people out there like you
that care for so many families. It was a real wake up call
walking around the course and seeing all of the remembrance
signage at the tee boxes.
Again, I can not thank you enough for what you have done for
Lee Sexton. She is a wonderful person and did not deserve what
happened to her. Additionally, sitting back and listening to
all of the other recipients made me want to get on a plane that
night to go home and hug my wife. An event like yours makes you
think about how precious life truly is.
Again, Rich it was a pleasure meeting you and I am sure we
will be seeing each other again in the near future.
Bill Ciccone
Exhibit Works
After learning of the RSMGC, I was compelled to
participate. Our industry is extremely competitive; the
fact we are able to come together to support our fellow
colleagues and their families in their time of need is
remarkable. We are all very fortunate to be members of
such a community. The RSMGC is a wonderful charitable
event that I hope to see grow and prosper for many years to
come.
Jennifer Eades
Donald E. McNabb Company, Inc.
Five years ago, as a newcomer to the exhibit industry, I
watched a video of the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic at an
EDPA luncheon. The scores of participants and volunteers
who came together to take part in this awesome charitable event
amazed me. And, I was moved to tears by the stories of
the recipients who benefited from its generosity.
I’ve been a volunteer for the RSMGC ever since.
I’m proud to be a part of an industry that cares for its
members in times of need. I’m also blessed to have
the opportunity to coordinate the tennis portion of the
RSMGC. This year, with generous gift donations from the
PGA Superstore and Wilson Sporting Goods for tennis goodie bags
and an amazing Grand Prize for the top point winner, I’m
hoping even more tennis players will join us for this awesome
charitable event! Tennis anyone?
Pat Pino
Laarhoven Design
Oh My Goodness
I received the check from the Randy. Words cannot
express my gratitute.. It was such an emotional boost
being there for the event. I can't seem to grasp the number of
people that must be involved. Thank you so much for
including me. The money is just the icing on the
cake. Thank you for being so fabulous.
Love you,
Karin Brennan
Rich, wanted to let you know again how cool yesterday was! Man,
you're doing a great thing with this tournament. We were blown
away by all of the stories and emotion. Kristy, me, Keith,
Roger and Joe sat in the back and wept over these other
people's stories...just like Lew's. Like Laurie said, Lew
would have been honored being a part of this. You did your
buddy good!
Love ya man....Swill
(Mike Swilley)
Hi Rich.
Thanks for all of your efforts on the tournament. I had
a great time and met some really nice people this year out on
the course. I was especially moved by arriving on hole #5
of the King course and seeing Frank and my family on
display. How very emotional for me. I know that was
planned and I want to thank you. Rich, thanks so
much for all of your efforts.
Joe Palminteri
ASICS America Corporation
I'm Proud
I can't tell you two how proud I am to have been a part of the
Randy since its inception. I hope my wife and kids never have
to stand in front of our brothers and our brothers friends like
we have seen so many have to do, but this is an insurance
policy that can be rivald by none other. You guys are the damn
best. I would never trade the moments I have shared with either
of you.
Benjamin Lewis
Hi Richie,
Well once again you pulled off a sensational gathering
of sensational people for a sensational cause. From the
bottom of my heart I want to thank you for making this
memorial happen. It is truly an honor to be a part of this
great memorial. Rich a long as you have this tournament you
know I will support it. If I can be of any assistance
please do not hesitate to let me know, you know I will be there
for you.
Thank you again for the Sponsor of the year award, I am deeply
honored
and appreciative. Can we some how recognize the
supporting cast that work so hard behind
the scenes? Let me know if you have any ideas.
Thanks again Rich, you are special.
Gary Michel
YOU'RE THE
GREATEST!!!
Rich,
I can not tell you how beautiful your tribute to Jonathan and
the other receptiants was. I cry just to think of
it....I'm sure Jonathan was proud.
The whole affair was 1st class...I thanked all the servers,
and told them to give my compliments to the chef. I never
attended a banquet for so many people where the food &
service was so good.
Thanks again...love ya.
YoLo
Thank you and God Bless
Rich -
I don't think I have ever been more touched by an event of
this nature. Not only was I emotionally and spiritually
touched, but I was in absolute awe of you and your partners in
setting up this memorial - what a wonderful group of
individuals! Thank you so much for including me in this
year's event. Please keep me on the invitation list - as
long as I am still upright I plan on attending all future
events.
God bless you pal and you will always have a special place in
my heart. You are definitely one of the good guys!
Take care and let's stay in touch.
Dale A. Austin
Account Executive
The H.B. Stubbs Company
Dear Rich,
I cannot thank you enough. I was astounded by the golf
tournament and
banquet. What a superb event in every way - the attendance,
the
organization, the production values, your exceptional job in
orchestrating the evening and of course the purpose it
serves. I was so proud to be a part of the evening and I
am so grateful that you have included Michael this year.
It means so much to me and will mean so much to Makayla in
the
future.
I want to have the opportunity to follow up with you on
several things. One, I would like to purchase a copy of
the video for me and one for Makayla (which I thought was
exceptional) and as well I would love to distribute some copies
of the video to some of the individuals that I think will
support this effort now and in the future.
Please don't hesitate to call on me next year for help.
I will be honored to participate in anyway that I can.
Thank you and Ted again for all that you did for me and my
family and all that you do for the industry. I am so
grateful.
With kindest regards and admiration.
Cassandra Henning McGraw
RSMGC Was Great!
Hey guys. I just wanted to drop you a note to let you
both know that I thought that this year’s RSMGC went very
well. We certainly enjoyed the round of golf on such a
gorgeous day, and I appreciate all the hospitality we received
throughout the day. I would also like to thank you for
the opportunity to provide the prayer at the banquet. It
was an honor to share in the event in this capacity.
You both have become so much more than clients, and I truly
value the friendship we have established.
God bless you both.
--
Scott Gray
President
Video Craft Productions
Dear Rich,
It was more than great seeing you, thank you for your
generosity and kindness. Playing golf with Paul, Ray, Neil,
Bernie and Eric was good medicine. Telling stories and jokes
for 6 hours we laughed our asses off to the point of tears.
Seeing Lou again and feeling the pain of his loss, his well
chosen words and the memorial for Wayne brought me to tears one
more time and provided for a long over due catharsis. The
Randy is a very special event, we are all recipients and
blessed to be part of such a unique community!
You, Mr. Johnson, are a truly remarkable individual and I
consider myself blessed to have you in my life. May God bless
you and your family always.
I will cherish our friendship always,
Dalton
Pay it Forward
Dear Rich, Ted and Robert,
I wanted to thank you for inviting me and my family and
friends to the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Tournament. It
was truly an experience of a lifetime. I was overwhelmed
with the outpouring of love and support we all felt from so
many who attended and of course you guys who run the
tournament. It was an emotional night for me, our girls,
Lew's sisters, my parents and my brother as the year
anniversary of Lew's death was upon us. However, being
able to remember him helped us all feel like we had been a part
of something that had truly been honoring to Lew and others in
such a perfect way. Lew's absolute favorite thing to do
was play golf at Berkley. Wow! I felt his presence
so strongly that night. Thank you for that time to
remember him and celebrate his life.
I cannot imagine the countless hours you spend getting
everything together. The attention to even the smallest details
was to perfection. You should feel proud of yourselves,
your families (who I'm sure sacrifice being without you a great
deal during the preparation time), and the people in your
industry. Not only have you modeled how to reach out to
your fellow man for your children but you have elevated and
motivated an entire industry of people to better themselves
through this experience. I don't know if you've seen the
movie Pay It Forward but it talks about when someone does
something good for you, you in turn "pay it forward" by passing
on something good for someone else. I will always
remember to "pay it forward" from the goodness and kindness you
have shown to my family. I believe through this event you
inspire many many people to be the starting point of goodness
and kindness to others.
Throughout this past year I have felt God's comforting
presence in my life. I believe he uses people here on
earth to give us hugs and help from Him. I believe he is
using you to accomplish His purposes. Psalm 34:18
says,"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those
who are crushed in spirit." Thank you for reaching out to
my family in such a beautiful way.
God Bless You,
Laurie Rogers
The Christie Cookie Company
A Thank You from Chris
Sheldon
Jim,
Happy Holidays to you!
My family just wanted to extend our thanks to all of the
following:
RSMGC Board, EDPA, TSEA, and EACA for the generous gift to
Nicole and remembering
her as you do each year.
Nicole is doing just fine and is a Junior in High School this
year. I hope to be able to bring her to next years event
as I am guilty of not
doing a very good job staying involved with all the great
people in the tradeshow industry and some very good
friends.
Take care and many thanks again!
Sincerely,
Chris Sheldon
C & S Logistics Solutions, Inc.
A note from Al
Gniadek
Rich and Jim,
I received the proceeds check last week and my wife and I
wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU and let you know how much it is
appreciated!! We were told we will have to stay at a
hotel for at least two months during my treatment, in case I
get a fever I need to get to the hospital within a half an
hour. The money will help pay towards this and all the
out of pocket expenses we will incur due to co pays and
numerous medicines I will be on.
I also wanted to give a brief update on my treatment, all is
going well. I was admitted to the hospital last weekend due to
a fever and tremendous back pain but was released on Sunday
afternoon. They were able to collect all of my stem cells in
one session which is a rarity. I had this done on Monday. This
upcoming week will be a big one for me. Tuesday I will go in
for a full day of high dose Chemo and on Thursday I will have
my “clean” stem cells transplanted back into my
body. After this they will monitor me daily and more than
likely I will have to be at the clinic 8 hours a day 7 days a
week. It is also anticipated that I will have to go into the
hospital approx 10 days after transplant for approx 1-2 weeks,
so it is very possible I will be in the hospital for Christmas.
I will also need blood transfusions and blood platelets, and
was overwhelmed to hear that MC-2 ATL has 20 people coming in
to donate!!
After this transplant I will recover for 2-3 months and will
repeat the process of the transplant with stem cells donated by
my brother.
Again thanks so much for everyone that the RSMGC has done for
my family and I. I not only thank you for my share of the
proceeds but also for all the support I have received, it truly
gives me strength in my day to day battle and is part of the
reason I am winning!! I am very much grateful and honored to be
a recipient of the RSMGC and look forward to sharing my story
and experience with other recipients in the years and decades
to come!!
Happy Holidays to all!!
AL
On behalf of Brian Nikrasch
Dear Jim & Sue,
Brian would like to extend his sincere thanks to you, and to
the many
dedicated volunteers and sponsors of the Randy Smith Memorial
Golf Classic.
He truly appreciates everyone’s hard work, kindness and
generosity. Brian
was always very proud to be a Sho Link employee and now takes
even greater
pride in knowing that he was part of such a wonderful
organization. It’s
unique to see an industry come together and support their own
– for that,
Brian will always be grateful.
Dianna Bocian
Decision One Mortgage
From Keith Tomaszewski
Jim,
It was good to see you. I would also like to thank you
for all the hard work that you put in for that day. It
amazes and humbles me when I attend the fund raiser. The
amazing part is to see all the competition put aside their
differences for the day, except for the golf scores, and join
in for a common goal. It humbles me to here the
recipients talk about there situations and I only wish that I
could do more.
It would be nice to see more individuals like myself
attend. Maybe for next year, that is something that I
could do to help out.
Thanks again,
From another 2005 recepient
Good Morning Rich,
How are you doing? I hope things are going well. I
just wanted to write you and thank you for sending me a portion
of the proceeds from the 2005 RSMGC. I was expecting to
receive a CD of the event and had no idea that I would receive
anything else. When I opened the letter, it brought me to
tears. This industry has been so wonderful to us.
Ya'll are very special people and I can't thank you enough for
everything you and this event has done for me both financially
and emotionally.
Thanks again for everything.
Love,
Debbie Olavarrieta
PS: I hope you and your family have a Happy Holiday
Season!
From Lori Rupp
Hi Rich and Ted,
I wanted to thank you for the most incredible couple of days I
have had in a very long time. The RSMGC meant more to me than I
could ever tell you. The amount of love and sympathy in that
room the night of the dinner is priceless. I truly meant it
when I said I was proud to be a part of this new found family.
Everyone made me feel so welcome and the hugs and kind words
touch my heart in a way I cannot explain. I can tell you having
to stand in front of all those wonderful people and speak was
probably one of the hardest things I have ever done but felt so
wonderful when I finally did it. You all truly touched my heart
and it's such a wonderful feeling. I am finally beginning to be
able to have some closure. Thank you so so very much. I
definitely can't wait until next year when I can come back and
be a part of the RSMGC and be a part of this again. God bless
you all.
Sincerely,
Lori Rupp
From Cleo Spoon and
Family
Rich and Jim,
We just wanted to thank you all for an amazing time at the
RSMGC. I read some testimonials before we went and I must say,
thought we were prepared for what was going to happen there.We
wasn't. The love and compassion in that room was beyond
explanation. You really knew you were part of a loving family.
People (unknown at the time) now extended family members
made it easy to stand up and speak.Everyone made us feel so
very special from the moment we arrived at the hotel.We truly
are blessed to have had the honor of being there. We feel both
honored and humbled that Cleo was among such amazing
recipients. Words cannot express what this has meant to our
family. Knowing there are such caring people in the trade show
business and knowing our family isn't alone. Thank you from the
bottom of our hearts and may God bless each and every one of
you.
Cleo Spoon and Family
Itchie
You did another fantastic job this year. You are the best.
Even shitty weather can't keep us from having another great
RSMGC. The
film is a classic.
Take care amigo,
Dave
I just wanted to send a congrads note on a very well done event. The work that you, Ted, Mike and the other volunteers do is tremendous, a great example of the human spirit and desire to help your fellow human. So without getting too sappy, well done!
David S. Brown
VP of Sales
Optima Graphics, Inc.
Hey Ted:
Setting the rain – wind – moisture – and chill aside --- Friday’s RANDY was once again awesome!
I know you and the entire team devote countless hours of labor in developing and presenting this worthy experience for all. The RANDY team deserves the positive recognition for creating a winning fund raiser to support our industry’s families.
We take pride in being a small block in the grand building scheme of RANDY.
You can count on our support for next year!
Thanks,
Gary
Gary P. Yates
Director Logistics, High Value Products
CORPORATE MAYFLOWER
Hi Linda- I am sorry I did not get to say
goodbye to you the other night. I think I went outside
for a few minutes and you left in the interim. Anyway, I
just wanted to say thank you so much for a wonderful time last
week. It was really nice spending time with you and I had
a really good time at RSMGC. I appreciate you
introducing me to the folks from Champion; Rich, Jim and
the rest of the folks that make RSMGC happen. It is
a great event, and while I have attended many banquets for a
lot of great causes, this one was really special.
It hit home, because it affects the folks in
our industry, and while we all pray that tragedies don’t
happen in our lives, it is nice to know that if it should
occur, the people in our industry come together and honor the
families that are affected and their loved ones. It is a
great thing you do. I know that the fund raising aspect can be
tedious, but you should be proud of the fact that you are
making a huge difference in people’s lives at a time they
need all the support they can get- when tragedy hits. AMAZING!
Thank you, again.
Lenny Servedio
General Manager
Metropolitan Exposition Services, Inc.
