2010 Schedule Highlights

As usual, we will have a full schedule of exciting events associated with the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction and Winter Festival. Some highlights include:

-Jerseytown Burger Eat Off
-Elk Bugling
-Scrap Iron Toss
-Dog Sled Race (weather/time permitting)
-Salad Toss
-Beard Competition
-Ice Roping (weather/time permitting)
-Elk Toss
-Tour of Danville

Invitations

We've had enough issues with Evite over the years that we are trying a new online invitation website this year - socializr.com. Based on what I have heard, it is easier to use and hopefully we won't have the same issues as with Evite. If you know of a better alternative to Evite or Socializr, let us know.

Website Issues

If you have looked at our website recently, you will have noticed that most of the links do not work. We had been using Google Page Creator to host our pages, but Google ended that service and switched all the websites to Google Sites. This new service has less functionality, and the worst part is that it does not allow uploading of .html files to the website. That means all of our sub-pages do not work. If anyone has a solution (i.e. a suggestion for another free web hosting service), please email us.

Until then, we'll try to use the DGS Blog to spread the word about the 2010 Elk Toss.

2010 Elk Toss Date

We apologize for the lack of recent blog postings, but here's some news to make you forget about our idleness...

Mark your calendars...the 75th Annual Danville German Society Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival will be held on Saturday February 20, 2010 in, near, and around Danville.

Also we would like to announce that our Commercial Donations Liaison (formerly Goutweed Control Technician), Aaron Jensen, married Karen Hagemeier on 9/9/09.

Elk Toss Thanks

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2009 Elk Toss, and special thanks to the following people:

-The Wagner Family for hosting the event and supplying plates, forks, outhouse (and video camera), spoons, warmth, knives, guns, toilet paper, cups, scrap iron, and more
-Everyone who helped clean up
-Pam Shellenberger for collecting money and organizing events
-Jamey Canterbury for elk toss measuring
-Todd Summers, Van Wagner, Franz Klingermann, Steve Richard for auctioneering
-Fred Iobst for his awesome magic at the Pub II
-Slimfit for rocking out at the Pub II
-Aaron Jensen for general help and money collection, and for collecting commercial donations for the auction
-Everyone who helped bus auction items to the stage
-Joe McMonagle and Stoudts Brewery for supplying beverages
-Franz Klingermann for handling the elk
-Everyone who brought canned goods to donate
-Everyone who brought items to auction and/or bought items in the auction
-Everyone who brought food
-The Jerseytown Tavern for opening up early for us and cooking the massive burgers

Elk Toss Recap

More information can be found on the DGS website regarding the results of the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction and Winter Festival.

On the website, you can find the following:

-Results
-Photos and Videos (once people email them to us)
-An Article from the Sunbury Daily Item

2009 Results

We apologize that it took this long to get the results on the blog. So without further ado, here are the results of the events at the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction and Winter Festival:

Jerseytown Burger Eat Off
1st - Tim (4:05)
2nd - Tait

Elk Bugling
1st - Gunter Canterbury
2nd - Franz Klingermann
3rd - Karl Shellenberger

Scrap Iron Toss
1st - Pam Shellenberger
2nd (tie) - James Spayd and Dave McGovern

Dog Sled Race
1st - Wrench Ruggairo
2nd - Karl Shellenberger

Salad Toss
1st - Joe McMonagle and Unnamed Female

Beard Competition
1st - Aurelia Summers
2nd - Karl Shellenberger

Ice Roping
1st - Jean Fox
2nd - Karl Shellenberger

Elk Toss
1st - Chaz Wall - 51'9"
2nd (tie) - Mike Wilkinson and Franz Klingermann - 49'4"
4th - Joe McMonagle - 45'8"
5th - Jim - 44'0"
6th - Karl Shellenberger

These results are based on our notes from the events and our memories. Let us know if you feel they are incorrect or if you have additional information to add (i.e. last names or spelling corrections).

2009 Charity Totals

We have added up the money raised at the Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival and have determined that we will be donating a the following amounts to the following charities:

$750 to the Gatehouse Shelter in Danville
$600 to the Milagro House in Lancaster
$600 to the Centre County Women's Resource Center
$150 to the Montour County Recreation Authority Summer Concert Series
$200 to Heart-to-Hand Ministries
A canoe-load of food for the Danville-Riverside Food Bank

The charities should be receiving their portion of the $2300 from us in the near future.

Also coming soon...a full recap of the Elk Toss and other events.

Another Successful Elk Toss

The 2009 Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival has been a success. We raised over $2300 for several charities, and had a great time in the process. We will provide more details soon. For now, check out the recap article from the Sunbury Daily Item.

Franz Klingermann

The all-time greatest Elk Toss champion, Franz Klingermann, will be returning again this year for the 75th year. Franz is a colorful character who has many interesting accomplishments during his life.

Driveway Conditions and Parking

From the Danville German Society Traffic and Road Conditions Department...

Unlike the past few years, we have received reports that "the driveway at the Wagner Farm is relatively free of snow and ice as of February 20 10:00 am."

Once you get up the hill, look for someone directing you to a parking location.

Parking will be much easier if everyone makes sure they carpool as much as practical.

Downtown Danville Map

We have added a map of downtown Danville to the DGS website. Check it out.

Surprise! More Reminders

At the request of Van...

-No dogs or chimpanzees
-Auction donations should be placed in front of the stage in the barn
-Food bank donations should be placed in the canoe in the barn
-Bring a friend

Reminders, Again

To repeat some reminders for Saturday...

-Bring quality items to donate to the auction
-Bring food bank donations
-Bring your own drinking vessel for use at the Wagner Farm
-Bring pot luck food to share with everyone
-Wear Lederhosen or a Dirndl (with warm layers underneath)
-Bring cash or checks to pay for events and the auction items
-Plan to carpool

Elk Toss Charities

Our current plan is to split the proceeds from the events and auction between the following charities:

-Gatehouse Shelter in Danville
-Heart-to-Hand Ministries
-Centre County Women's Resource Center
-Milagro House in Lancaster

Event Rules

The rules for the events to be held this Saturday can be found on the DGS Website. Please study the rules so you are properly prepared.

Why should I go to the Elk Toss?

You should attend the Elk Toss for these reasons:

1. It will be fun

2. It benefits several charities (see all the good things the DGS has done recently)

3. Danville misses you

4. Seriously, why are you even asking why you should attend?

Another Elk Toss Video

We found another Elk Toss video from last year on You Tube. We are not sure who put this video together, but someone took some time to do it, since there are multiple tosses shown and background music. If you are the creator of this video, let us know so we can thank you.

It's Cool to Carpool

Parking at the Wagner Farm is somewhat limited, so carpooling is recommended. If you need to drive to Danville by yourself, you can always leave your car at the Pine Barn Inn parking lot and hop in a friend's car to get to Jerseytown or the Farm. The DGS Officers thank you in advance for your assistance.

15 Days Until the Elk Toss

Before you know it, the Elk Toss will be here. A printable .pdf file of the schedule and a map of event locations can be found on the DGS Website. Here's an recap of the events to occur on Saturday February 21:

8:00 am - Pappas Restaurant for Annual ScrappleFest

9:00 am - Salvation Army Shopping Trip

10:00 am - Jerseytown Tavern in Jerseytown
Jerseytown Burger Eat-Off

11:30 am - Arrive at Wagner Farm
Scrap Iron Toss, Salad Toss, Ice Roping, Sled-Dog Race, Chicken Race, Block Shoot, Beard Contest, etc.
Charity Auction and live music will be held between each event
Annual meeting and officers reports
Pot luck style food

4:00 pm - ELK TOSS followed by more competitions and auction

6:00 pm - Leave Wagner Farm and head to downtown Danville

7:00 pm - Tour of Danville begins at Pine Barn Inn bar
Mulberrry’s, BJ’s, Old Forge Brewing Company, LT Evans, etc.

10:00 pm - Music by Slimfit and Magic by Fred Iobst at the Pub II

Late - More Tour of Danville and Cheese Cosmos at Danville Sub Shop

Auction Items

Sometimes, rarely, we get questions about what to bring to donate to the Charity Auction. The answer is simple - bring things that you honestly think that someone else will want to buy. Some of the popular items from years past have been homemade infused liquors, other alcoholic beverages, quality artwork, musical items, functional household appliances, clothing, gift certificates to restaurants, etc. Please do not bring things that you would have otherwise thrown in the trash.

This year, we will also be having a silent auction. If you have any items that you feel are very special, post a comment to this blog entry and we will add it to the list of silent auction items.

Oh, and one more warning. Please do not sample food or alcohilic auction items before they are auctioned off.

Grundsau?

Happy (belated) Groundhog Day! It looks like the major groundhogs (Punxsutawney Phil, Octoraro Orphie, Kurt) have all seen their shadows and predicted six more weeks of winter. Some minor groundhogs are saying we'll have an early spring.

What does this mean for the Elk Toss? Only time, and forecasts from human weathermen, will tell.

A summary of the history of Groundhog Day can be found from our friends at Wikipedia.

2008 Elk Toss Video

Many of you have seen this before, but it is worth another look at Simon's attempt at elk tossing last year. The video is here.

Food Bank Donations

The economic downturn has put a lot of extra demand on food banks. Please try to bring non-perishable food to donate to the Danville-Riverside Food Bank. For ideas of what to donate to the Food Bank, check out the needs list on the website of the State College Area Food Bank. If you would like to donate a grocery store gift card, you should know that there is a Giant and a Weis store in the Danville area.

2009 Elk Toss Schedule

We've "finalized" the schedule for this year's Elk Toss. We've posted a .pdf file of the schedule here. If there are any schedule changes before February 21, we will post them on the blog.

Presidential Inauguration

The Danville German Society has sent representatives of our organization to attend the Inauguration of President Obama in Washington, D.C. The DGS Treasurer and Secretary will be witnessing the historic event.

Elk Toss Reminders 2009

Here's a few reminders for the what you should bring to the Elk Toss:

Items to Auction
Cash (or checks) to pay for events and the auction
Non-perishible food to donate to the Danville-Riverside Food Bank
Pot Luck Food to share with others
Lederhosen
Ability to speak Pennsylvania Dutch

If you plan to stay in Danville overnight, you should book a room. We recommend the Pine Barn Inn. It is within walking distance of downtown, and they like Lederhosen.

For the auction, please bring stuff that you think someone else will actually want to buy. The Charity Auction is not a way to get rid of your trash.

Digital Television Transition

The conversion to digital television is planned for 4 days before the Elk Toss. If you are worried that you may lose your television service that week, we have an easy solution: Come to the Elk Toss! You do not need a converter box to toss an elk.

Additional information about the digital conversion can be found at this Public Service Announcement video.

UPDATE: the final deadline for the conversion has been delayed until June 12, although some channels still may switch on February 17. Just come to the Elk Toss, and you will not have to worry about it.

Prohibited Items

We have received several questions about what you need to bring to the Elk Toss. We will get to that later, but you should know what you should not bring. Note that we borrowed this list from the official website of the Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies, so some items might not apply to the Elk Toss. Use your judgement.

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:

Firearms and ammunition (either real or simulated)
Explosives of any kind (including fireworks)
Knives, blades, or sharp objects (of any length)
Mace and/or pepper spray
Sticks or poles
Pocket or hand tools, such as “Leatherman”
Packages
Backpacks
Large bags
Duffel bags
Suitcases
Thermoses
Coolers
Strollers
Umbrellas
Laser pointers
Signs
Posters
Animals (other than service animals)
Alcoholic beverages
Other items that may pose a threat to the security of the event as determined by and at the discretion of the security screeners

Mobility Aids such as canes, including those with a fold-down seat, walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters are allowed.

Microbrewery in Danville?

Yes, it is true. The Old Forge Brewing Company on Mill Street opened recently, and we plan to add it as one of our stops on the annual Tour of Danville.

Preliminary 2009 Schedule

We plan to generally follow the same schedule as we have done the past several years. It will probably look something like this:

8:00 am - Pappas Restaurant for Annual ScrappleFest
9:00 am - Salvation Army Shopping Trip
10:00 am - Jerseytown Tavern in Jerseytown
· Jerseytown Burger Eat-Off
· Presentation of Certificate of Appreciation
11:30 am - Arrive at Wagner Farm
· Scrap Iron Toss, Salad Toss, Ice Roping, Sled-Dog Race, Chicken Race, Block Shoot, Beard Contest, etc.
· Charity Auction and live music will be held between each event
· Annual meeting and officers reports
· Pot luck style food
4:00 pm - ELK TOSS followed by more competitions and auction
6:00 pm - Leave Wagner Farm and head to downtown Danville
7:00 pm - Tour of Danville begins at Pine Barn Inn bar
· Mulberrry’s, BJ’s, Old Forge Brewing Company, LT Evans, etc.
10:00 pm - Music by Slimfit and Van Wagner, and magic by Fred Iobst at the Pub
Late - More Tour of Danville and Cheese Cosmos at Danville Sub Shop

In previous years we have had a bit of trouble getting the events rolling at the Wagner Farm. So this year, we will begin events as soon as we get there. We won't wait for stragglers, and that means you, Joey.

We will post the final schedule here and also as a .pdf file on the DGS Website.

2009 Charities

Happy New Year...

We've been tossing around some ideas for charities for the 2009 Elk Toss and have come up with the following:

Gatehouse Shelter
Heart-to-Hand Ministries (www.hearttohandministries.com)
Centre County Women's Resource Center (www.ccwrc.org)
Milagro House (www.milagrohouse.org)

There is a chance we may add another one before February 21, so stay tuned.