By Deric Bloomingdale, F188602
President, FMCA Teen-Age Travelers (TATS)
September 2003
Hello. First of all I would like to thank all of the youth for allowing me to serve a third year as president of the TATS. Second, I would like to introduce our other three officers: Melissa Carlson, F301017, 1st vice president; Adam McGrath, F87335, 2nd vice president; and Erica Espinosa, F254925, 3rd vice president.
I have to tell you that it was a blast in Buffalo with all the children who showed up. There were 136 TATS, 89 PRE-TEENS, 46 TWEENS, and 15 TOTS for a total of 286 youth who signed up to participate.
In Buffalo the youth enjoyed a full plate of activities. These included bowling, a pizza party (where I think I ate too much); a naval museum visit; and T-shirt painting, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, or that is at least what I noticed from all the…well…”interesting” designs. We also had an ice cream social, and completely enjoyed the trip to Six Flags Darien Lake. A number of us even waited in line for well over an hour in order to go on the “Superman Ride of Steel,” one of the tallest roller coasters in the Northeast. At Darien Lake there was a water park also, so some of us decided to get a little wet. On Saturday night we had a DJ/karaoke that we loved, although some of us were too stubborn to dance.
Anyway, I would like to thank all the youth who came, and the parents or others who brought them, to Buffalo, New York, in July. I hope to see all of you again soon.