Central Kansas Corvette Association
• NCCC's 'Blue Bars' Magazine CKCA Cover Story •
Summer 2015
On the front cover...
"Corvettes at the Cos" - SR-71 "Blackbird" Pilot and Crew Meet & Greet
Based in Hutchinson, Kansas, the home of the world-renowned 'Smithsonian-Affiliated' Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center, the Central Kansas Corvette Association (CKCA) continues to experience rapid growth. Founded in the spring of 1968, CKCA was 'kick-started' in September 2011; membership had dwindled to eight original members and quickly grew to 65 members during an eight-month period. CKCA appeared on the cover of the “Summer 2013” Blue Bars magazine (photo - April 2012).
We have been asked by NCCC clubs to explain the secrets of our growth and it basically comes down to 'recruiting'; through friendships, area car shows and 'word of mouth,' our members continue to recruit area Corvette owners and sell them on the benefits of belonging to CKCA. Membership in NCCC is a major selling point to perspective members.
Membership recently surpassed 130 members (136 at the time of this writing). CKCA members requested an updated 'group photo.' A committee organized the "Corvettes at the COS" event for September 20, 2014 at the Cosmosphere. Members arrived early and assembled for a group photo, followed by a BBQ lunch. We then viewed the 70th anniversary D-Day Documentary narrated by Tom Brokaw inside the recently remodeled Carey Digital Dome Theater. Ninety members (58 Corvettes) participated in the event and enjoyed a beautiful September day at the Cosmosphere.
Prior to the September 20 "Corvettes at the COS" event, several CKCA members received a 'special' invitation to spend time with SR-71 "Blackbird" pilots and crew members as a part of a weekend celebration/fund raiser at the Cosmosphere. Participating CKCA members brought five generations of Corvettes to the Cosmosphere and enjoyed meeting the pilots and crew who flew the fastest jet ever built. An original SR-71 "Blackbird" rests inside the spacious Cosmosphere lobby.
Here's a Cosmosphere write-up following the event:
"August 22-24, 2014, 19 SR-71 "Blackbird" pilots and crew members were honored at the 3rd annual Fly Around Dine Around fundraiser. Invited by SR-71 pilot and Cosmosphere foundation board member Colonel Buz Carpenter, the crew were honored Cosmosphere guests for the second time in three years. The weekend events featured Reflections Panels led by pilots and crew members, meet and greets with attendees, book and model signings, a Progressive Dinner and a public reception. As a special addition to the weekend, Col. Carpenter and other SR-71 crew members (pictured above) had the opportunity to meet, share in conversation, and take pictures with members of the Central Kansas Corvette Association, Hutchinson, Kansas.
"Col. Carpenter, who is a Corvette enthusiast, had this to say about the experience, 'Speed is life and is a worthy challenge to pursue, be it in a Corvette, a ship, an SR-71 or a Moon-bound rocket!'"
Thanks, Colonel Carpenter; we had a blast!
Save the Wave!
Articles and photos submitted by
Kevin Brown, CKCA President [2012 - 2016].
www.centralkansascorvetteassociation.com
"Corvettes at the Cos" - SR-71 "Blackbird" Pilot and Crew Meet & Greet
Based in Hutchinson, Kansas, the home of the world-renowned 'Smithsonian-Affiliated' Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center, the Central Kansas Corvette Association (CKCA) continues to experience rapid growth. Founded in the spring of 1968, CKCA was 'kick-started' in September 2011; membership had dwindled to eight original members and quickly grew to 65 members during an eight-month period. CKCA appeared on the cover of the “Summer 2013” Blue Bars magazine (photo - April 2012).
We have been asked by NCCC clubs to explain the secrets of our growth and it basically comes down to 'recruiting'; through friendships, area car shows and 'word of mouth,' our members continue to recruit area Corvette owners and sell them on the benefits of belonging to CKCA. Membership in NCCC is a major selling point to perspective members.
Membership recently surpassed 130 members (136 at the time of this writing). CKCA members requested an updated 'group photo.' A committee organized the "Corvettes at the COS" event for September 20, 2014 at the Cosmosphere. Members arrived early and assembled for a group photo, followed by a BBQ lunch. We then viewed the 70th anniversary D-Day Documentary narrated by Tom Brokaw inside the recently remodeled Carey Digital Dome Theater. Ninety members (58 Corvettes) participated in the event and enjoyed a beautiful September day at the Cosmosphere.
Prior to the September 20 "Corvettes at the COS" event, several CKCA members received a 'special' invitation to spend time with SR-71 "Blackbird" pilots and crew members as a part of a weekend celebration/fund raiser at the Cosmosphere. Participating CKCA members brought five generations of Corvettes to the Cosmosphere and enjoyed meeting the pilots and crew who flew the fastest jet ever built. An original SR-71 "Blackbird" rests inside the spacious Cosmosphere lobby.
Here's a Cosmosphere write-up following the event:
"August 22-24, 2014, 19 SR-71 "Blackbird" pilots and crew members were honored at the 3rd annual Fly Around Dine Around fundraiser. Invited by SR-71 pilot and Cosmosphere foundation board member Colonel Buz Carpenter, the crew were honored Cosmosphere guests for the second time in three years. The weekend events featured Reflections Panels led by pilots and crew members, meet and greets with attendees, book and model signings, a Progressive Dinner and a public reception. As a special addition to the weekend, Col. Carpenter and other SR-71 crew members (pictured above) had the opportunity to meet, share in conversation, and take pictures with members of the Central Kansas Corvette Association, Hutchinson, Kansas.
"Col. Carpenter, who is a Corvette enthusiast, had this to say about the experience, 'Speed is life and is a worthy challenge to pursue, be it in a Corvette, a ship, an SR-71 or a Moon-bound rocket!'"
Thanks, Colonel Carpenter; we had a blast!
Save the Wave!
Articles and photos submitted by
Kevin Brown, CKCA President [2012 - 2016].
www.centralkansascorvetteassociation.com
Page last updated: 06/11/2024
© Central Kansas Corvette Association
Hutchinson, KS
© Central Kansas Corvette Association
Hutchinson, KS
