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The year was 1981.
The Zinzinnati Wanderers began as a club with several meetings.
A first, in early 1981, was a meeting of Lew Spurlock, the director of California Woods Nature Preserve in Cincinnati and his boss. At that meeting, Lew was given information on volkssporting and asked to "check it out" and see what the Cincinnati Recreation Commission could do to get volkssports started in Cincinnati.
A second, in June 1981, was a meeting arranged by Ohio Wander Freunde (AVA 2 OH 1) President David Toth of Joe Stigall and Jerry Bocock. Both Joe and Jerry had expressed interest to David Toth that they would be interested in starting a club in Cincinnati, so David became an intermediary for their meeting. David also made Jerry aware of an inquiry that he had received from Lew Spurlock.
A third meeting ensued with the meeting of Lew Spurlock and Jerry Bocock. From this meeting, more interest was determined and eventually a date was set to hold the first walk.
Jerry Bocock was a member of the Ohio Wander Freunde (OWF) and arranged for the OWF to obtain AVA and IVV sanctioning for a walk to he held on
November
6 & 7, 1981 at the Lunken Airport Playfield.
People who were
interested
in forming the club met at the Cincinnati Recreation Commission conference room to begin the planning of the event and publicity.
Thus was born the Zinzinnati Wanderers. The first group of officers was:
President: Jerry Bocock
Vice President: Lew
Spurlock
Secretary: Mia Tullo
Treasurer: Mary Donovan
Trailmaster: Joe Stigall
Corporate Sponsor: Cincinnati Recreation Commission
In preparing for the first event. The Cincinnati group had:
added a few people. By this time, there were between 15 and 20 people, including spouses and teenage children in the group.
made an agreement with OWF that the risks were to be taken by the Cincinnati group and that the proceeds from the event was to be used as seed money for the formation of a club. In return, OWF would obtain the AVA/IVV sanctioning and provide some workers for the start/finish area.
chosen the Lunken Airport Playfield and its 10 km trail around the Lunken Airport for the first event.
chosen an award of a medal with a turkey because the Lunken Airport area was once known as Turkey Bottoms, Wilmer Road, which runs beside the playfield was once called Turkey Bottom Road and it was last Ohio volksmarch scheduled in 1981 before Thanksgiving Day.
ordered 250 awards from Big Medals of Fairborn, OH.
put together a club membership application for use at the event.
The weekend of the event arrived to great weather! The following items of importance happened.
By mid-morning on Saturday, the income was high enough to repay OWF for the sanction fees ($85).
By mid-morning on Saturday, the income was high enough to pay for a charter fee to the AVA for club membership ($50)
The representatives from the existing clubs in Ohio met at the California Woods Nature Preserve to form the Ohio Volkssport Association.
A local TV station (WCPO Channel 9) came to film walkers for a report on their Saturday news, thus bringing more people out for the event on Sunday.
At least 20 club memberships were signed up, some individual and some families.
By early Sunday morning, all of the 250 original awards were sold and awards had to be reordered for walkers. These were mailed to the recipient within six (6) weeks of the event.
All of the AVA consignment of Green Event and Blue Distance books were sold and more had to be obtained from Regional Director Brian Lewie for walkers.
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