“Damn that's disappointing as I was really looking forward to it.” These were the words Tom Rosenbauer offered when Buzz emailed him last March to let him know our Annual Banquet was going to be postponed due to the urging of TU President Chris Wood and the recommendations of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and the State of Rhode Island. That was the first time we postponed it.  Buzz recently contact Tom again to let him know the April 17th date that we had set for this year was also being canceled due to COVID-19.  This time Tom responded “Looking forward to finally doing this!” I think Tom shares the same sentiment of most of our Chapter members. We really want to have the Annual Fundraising Banquet, especially with our special guest speaker, but we have to do it when it is safe and wise to do so.

Here in Rhode Island we are fortunate to be experiencing decreased COVID-19 death rates and have vaccinations well underway, however the RI TU Board believes postponing the banquet to an April date in 2022 would be best for everyone.

For those of you who have already purchased your tickets either on line or in person, we would encourage you to hold on to your tickets for the April, 2022 date that will be determined by the end of this month. New paper tickets will be issued when the details have been solidified. If you would rather have your ticket money refunded and purchase a ticket when the new date is determined, we will be happy to issue a refund. Please contact Susan Estabrook at susan@ysrinc.com and note “Refund” in the subject line of your email and we will get a refund to you by the same method your tickets were purchased. Please request your refund by April 30.  One last option you may want to consider is making a donation of the money you spent on your banquet tickets to help the Chapter continue its important conservation activities. To donate your ticket money, please contact Susan Estabrook at susan@ysrinc.com and note “Donate” in the subject line of your email. We will then notify our treasurer of your kind donation.

We appreciate your understanding and support with the rescheduling of our Annual Banquet.  The Banquet Committee will be doing their best to create an enjoyable experience for all attendees and the best recognition for all of our generous donors.  If you have any questions please contact me at tu225president@gmail.com or call (401) 225-7712.  Please visit our website for updates Rhodeisland.tu.org.

Kind Regards,

Glenn Place