The Banquet was held on October 23, 2019 at the Tukwila Community Center.

Guest Speaker: The guest speaker was Chris Fagan (see below).

Banquet Chairman's Message (by Michael Nau):

Well another banquet is in the books and the general consensus was that it was one of the best. Everything lined up on one great night with good food, great prizes, and a fantastic speaker.

Olive Garden catered the event with a pasta station meal that included two different noodle styles, several sauces, and chicken, sausage, or meatballs to top it off. There was a salad too.

Next it was on to our speaker, Chris Fagan, who entertained the group for more than an hour with details from her most recent adventures. She provided in-depth and personal details of the challenges, highs, and lows of skiing to the South Pole with her husband. Over the course of 48 days they traveled 570 miles to reach the South Pole, the first husband and wife team to do so unsupported. She also became only the 18th woman to do so. Traveling more than 12 miles per day, pulling a 200 pound sled with all their support gear, all in subzero temperatures, with some days reaching 50 below zero!! She had her book, The Expedition, for sale and a few persons bought the book before her talk, but many bought it after hearing from this extraordinary woman. If you missed out, you can go to her website at www.chrisfagan.net.

After cake and coffee we moved on to the prizes. Tom and Craig did an exceptional job choosing prizes with all but two of them being silver! And the two that were not silver were the 2020 limited edition copper BECC medals. With silver trading above $17 an ounce, and tickets to the banquet at $15, it was like the club paid you to come to the banquet. Overall a fine time was had by all, and now the biggest challenge becomes, how do we top that next year?

2019 Banquet Photos submitted by David Buehler.

Club president Tom Koch introduces the Jim Payne Memorial Award (left).
Tom presents the Jim Payne Memorial Award to Truus Lagerman (center).
Truus contemplates the award (right). Congratulations!

Various photos of club members enjoying the banquet at their tables.

Various photos of guest speaker Chris Fagan. The bottom two are receiving speaker award from Mike Nau and book selling table.

Prizes and give-aways (left); give-aways in progress (right).