Newspaper Article

The results of the Elk Toss and other events was published in the Danville News. The article can be found here, or you can just read on...


Elk Toss winners, fund recipients announced

By Karen Blackledge kblackledge@thedanvillenews.com Feb 25, 2019

MOORESBURG — About 100 people attended the Danville German Society's Elk Toss at the Van Wagner farm Saturday, which raised $2,150 for various organizations.

The Gate House will receive $1,200 for the homeless; the Danville Heritage Festival musical program will receive $300; the Community Cafe at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in State College will receive $150; and the Clearwater Conservancy in Centre County will receive $500.

Men's Elk Toss winners were Dylan Durnick in first place; Ethan Cree, of Glasgow, in second; Van Wagner in third; Jason Daryman, of York, in fourth; and Chaz Wall, of State College, in fifth place.

Women's Elk Toss winners were Jill Roth, of Reading, in first place; Tamara Wagner, of Danville, in second; and Pam Shellenberger, of State College, in third.

Winners in the Children's Elk Toss were Calvin Wagner, of Danville, in first place; Lydia Jones, of Bala Cynwyd in second; and Ian Shellenberger, of State College, in third place.

Winners in the Hog Toss for kids 12-17 years of age were Wyeth Martin, of Lewisburg, in first place; Calvin Wagner, of Danville, in second; and Luke Wagner, of Danville, in third.

Elk Bugling Competition winners were Nora Jens, of Lancaster, in first place; Karl Shellenberger, of State College, in second; and Jackie Brysacz, of Hummelstown, in third.

The Salad Toss winners were Ann Clements and Brian Nichols, of State College.

Beard Competition winners were Karl Shellenberger, of State College, in first place and Jeff Meitrott, of Huntingdon County, in second place.

Scrap Iron Toss winners were TJ Willoughby, of Danville, in first place; Steve Beiber, of Lewisburg in second; and Pam Shellenberger, of State College, in third.

The Kids Scrap Iron Toss winner was Dominick May, of Danville.

In the skateboarding and scootering competition, Wyeth Martin, of Lewisburg, won Highest Ollie; Sarah Sharp, of Danville, won Best Recovery; and Calvin Wagner, of Danville, won Best Tricks.

Photos, Videos, etc.

Please send us videos and photos. Here are a few we've received so far.

Boom!

Elk Toss Results

"I was so excited I couldn't sleep last night"....Ben Nevin, Mansfield PA

Once again, the 75th Annual Elk Toss, Charity Auction, and Winter Festival was a success. We raised a total of $2150, which will soon be sent to the following organizations.

$1200 - Gate House, Danville

$300 - Danville Heritage Festival musical program

$150 - Community Cafe at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in State College

$500  - Clearwater Conservancy, Centre County

We also collected about a pickup truck full of food for the Danville-Riverside Food Bank.

There are a few missing hometowns and one missing last name in the results below. Please let us know in the comments if you have any corrections.

If you have photos or videos that you would like to share, feel free to email them to us at danvillegerman@yahoo.com or share them on our facebook page. 

Men's Elk Toss

1st - Dylan Durnick - 52'11"

2nd - Ethan Cree, Glascow, PA - 51'10"

3rd - Van Wagner, Danville - 48'5"

4th - Jason Daryman, York - 46'0"

5th - Chaz Wall, State College - 42'2"

Women's Elk Toss

1st - Jill Roth, Reading - 32'9"

2nd -Tamara Wagner, Danville - 32'3"

3rd - Pam Shellenberger, State College - 31'0"

Children's Elk Toss

1st - Calvin Wagner, Danville - 66'1"

2nd - Lydia Jones, Bala Cynwyd - 48'11"

3rd - Ian Shellenberger, State College - 41'1"

Hog Toss (12-17 Years Old)

1st - Wyeth Martin, Lewisburg - 53'3"

2nd - Calvin Wagner, Danville - 35'3"

3rd - Luke Wagner, Danville - 33'10"

Elk Bugling Competition

1st - Nora Jens, Lancaster

2nd - Karl Shellenberger, State College

3rd - Jackie Brysacz, Hummelstown

Salad Toss

1st - Ann Clements / Brian Nichols, State College

Beard Competition

1st -Karl Shellenberger, State College

2nd - Jeff Meitrott, Huntingdon County

Scrap Iron Toss

1st - TJ Willoughby, Danville

2nd - Steve Beiber, Lewisburg

3rd - Pam Shellenberger, State College

Kids Scrap Iron Toss
1st - Dominick May, Danville

Skateboarding / Scootering Competition

Highest Ollie - Wyeth Martin, Lewisburg

Best Recovery - Sarah Sharp Danville

Best Tricks - Calvin Wagner, Danville

'Twas the Night Before Elk Toss

Recycled video:

Final, Final Reminders*

Entertainment  update from Van...

The music at old forge is going be really special tomorrow. I have lots of guest musicians coming up in my set and the main act Forc is really a great band. It sounds like half the county is coming to old forge and you should to!  It's going to be a night to remember. Or not, meaning stay at the pine barn Inn please if you need a nice bed for the night :)

Remember to bring Food Bank Donations

The Wagners also request, if possible, bring your own metal silverware. They are trying to cut down on plastic. Or you can just eat with your hands.

Parking could be a mess at the Wagner Farm (snowy and muddy), so be patient, and drive gently.

*There may be more reminders later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Links!

All the links you ever wanted...

List of Reminders 

Weather Forecast from the National Weather Service

Driveway Conditions can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here.

About the 2019 Elk Toss

Organizations supported in 2019

Evening Entertainment Information

Wagner Farm Directions

Unredacted Mueller Report

Elk Toss Locations 

See you tomorrow!

Final Driveway Update

The driveway is muddy but awesome! All cars should travel up just fine as long as you don’t stop to smell the roses mid-mud. I do suggest mud-friendly footwear as we're pretty swampy out in the yard and field right now. It’s going to be a great day! See you all in Danville!

Newspaper Article

Once again, the Danville News published an article about the Elk Toss.

Competition Information

In case you are new to the Elk Toss, here's a list of the events that will occur on Saturday.

• Elk Bugling Competition
• Beard Contest
• Scrap Iron Toss
• Block Shoot
• Skateboard and Scooter Competition
• Elk Toss

Other events that may occur depending on time, weather, equipment availabilty, etc.

• Ice Roping
• Chicken Race
• Sled Dog Race

Event Rules can be found here.

Also, we may have a new event this year...

⚖️ 🍺

Serious talent on show in Gelsenkirchen already tonight! #S04MCI #UCL #VMSport pic.twitter.com/utdRbKXrTl

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 20, 2019

Driveway Maintenance

Actual video of the driveway being cleared of snow...

Driveway Update - February 20

Driveway update including scootering, skateboarding, and Rick Victor. It contains everything you need to know about the driveway.

Weather Update

Once the current storm leaves the region, we hope to have a comprehensive update on the driveway conditions. Stay tuned.

For Saturday, the weather people are forecasting rain, but it may hold off until later in the day or into the evening. Non-leather Lederhosen might be a good idea. More information will be posted as Saturday approaches.

Wagner Farm Directions Revisited

Last year, we posted information on this very blog to assist you in finding the Wagner Farm. It is still a little confusing.

In 2017, Montour County addresses changed as part of an update to their 911 system, but online mapping services have not fully caught up. To get to the Wagner Farm, go up the gravel driveway located near here (40°57'39.3"N 76°45'28.4"W).

A map of the farm can be found here. 

Driveway Weather

The DGS Meteorology Department is holed up in their weather bunker preparing the forecast for the Wagner Farm Driveway. We have received early reports from them that the morning temperature on Saturday will be in the upper 20s, and it will get into the low to mid 40s by the afternoon. They are keeping their eyes on a Wednesday storm that could bring snow, ice, rain, and despair to the driveway.

Video of ice removal earlier this winter:

Galloping Elk

via Gfycat

10 Days Until the Elk Toss...Be Prepared

Reused, recycled, and revised information from an previous blog post with a few reminders for people planning to attend the 75th Annual Elk Toss...

1. Bring items to donate to the auction.
2. Bring non-perishable food to donate to the Danville-Riverside Food Bank. 
3. Bring laundry detergent to donate to the Good Samaritan Mission in Danville.
4. Bring Pot-Luck Food to share at the Wagner Farm.
5. Bring cash or checks (or bitcoin?*) for the auction and event entry fees.
6. Bring a Drinking Vessel and your own beverages. The DGS was not able to get as many donations from local breweries like previous years, so we are again requesting that this year be partially BYOB.
7. Wear Lederhosen or a Dirndl, or wear warm clothes and boots since we will be outside much of the day.
8. Please do not bring your dog to the Elk Toss.
9. Organize a carpool and drive an AWD/4WD vehicle. The Wagner Farm driveway and parking area could be snowy, icy, muddy, wet, hard, soft, rocky, grassy, or meaty. Driveway updates will be provided as necessary.
10. Reserve a room if you want to spend the night in Danville.
11. Prepare to have fun while supporting some great organizations.
12. If you have a trophy from last year, please bring them back with you so that we can present it to this year's winner in that event.
13. Check this blog often for updates on driveway conditions, weather, entertainment, etc. 

*Bitcoin will not be accepted in 2019.

2019 Organizations Supported

Here's some additional information about the organizations the DGS will be supporting through the 2019 Elk Toss.

The Gate House
The Gate House was founded in 1997 to provide safe shelter to homeless families. They provide a secure environment to residents of Pennsylvania in Montour and Columbia Counties. Their support and emergency services are a direct solution to families who are facing personal crises to include but are not limited to; abandonment, divorce, illness, accidents such as fire, flood, rent increases, or evictions. The focus is to treat families with dignity and respect and to provide the resident and avenue to self-sufficiency.

"Our mission is to keep families in crises together. We provide shelter and services to homeless men and women, along with their children. Our goal is to offer a stabilizing environment as our residents transition back into the community."

The Gate House offers six rooms for single residents and families. In addition to providing shelter, the Gate House seeks to empower our homeless residents to gain independence as quickly as possible. Residents actively work with Gate House staff to identify and work toward goals to include but is not limited to 

• Obtaining Employment 
• Securing Affordable Housing 
• Furthering Education 
• Gaining Important Life Skills

Gate House staff assist residents in navigating the employment and educational opportunities available to them through local services such as Pa Career Link, Central Susquehanna Opportunities, and the Department of Human Services. 

Danville Heritage Festival

The Danville Heritage Festival is an annual celebration of the history and heritage of the Danville area. In 2019, the event will occur on July 19-21, and will include living history demonstrations, speakers, fireworks, and live music. The DGS plans to use funds raised at the Elk Toss to support the live music program. 

ClearWater Conservancy
The ClearWater Conservancy in Centre County is an organization committed to conservation and restoration of natural resources through land conservation, water resource stewardship and environmental outreach across central Pennsylvania.

Community Cafe
The Community Cafe is a weekly event at St. Andrew's church in State College. Since March 2009, they have served dinner every Thursday to anyone and everyone who comes through the door. The meal is free, everyone is welcome, and donations are accepted, but they are not expected. They have grown from a simple soup and bread offering, to a hearty meal that includes one or more entree selections, multiple sides, soup, salads, bread, vegan choices, and an overwhelming dessert buffet. In addition to the hot meal served, they have a large take-home table with baked goods and produce donated by local stores Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s, from which patrons are welcome to shop at no charge.

Updated Entertainment Update

As a reminder, and for fans of 1980s Saturday morning cartoons, Forc rhymes with Snork.

Happy Groundhog Day

The most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, did not see his shadow earlier this morning and predicted an early spring, so that's good news for all you Elk Tossers out there. According to Accuweather, the forecast for February 23 (as of this morning) is a low of 15 degrees in the morning and a high of 36 degrees in the afternoon, with 1.5 inches of snow. Early spring indeed.

Danville Elk History

102 years, to the day, before the 2019 Elk Toss, an article appeared in the Public Press of Northumberland concerning elk sightings on Montour Ridge. Read on...