[OKDXA] Feed the kitty?

[W5LE - Gene Lewis]

Hello everyone,
I'm working on firming up world-class DXpeditioner, Bob Allphin, K4UEE, as our speaker for the 2012 Oklahoma DX Association banquet.  We're targeting Saturday, October 13th, as the date.  Bob has already committed to come.  The OKDXA will need to take care of his flight to and from Oklahoma and his lodging while he's here, above and beyond our normal meeting room cost and catering cost.  With that in mind, I would like to ask if there is anyone in the club who would be interested in "feeding the kitty".  Some of us officers have already committed to contribute personal funds to the OKDXA account to make sure we have sufficient funds to send money to him to pay for the trip.  
For any of you who would be willing to contribute $100, that will take care of your dinner at the banquet (which will be $25 this time), and $75 will go into the fund to support our bringing Bob to Oklahoma and paying for the meeting facility and catering.  If you're able and willing to do this, please get your funds sent to our Secretary/Treasurer Charlie Calhoun, K5TTT, as soon as possible, so that he can, in turn get funds on the way to Bob, K4UEE, to purchase his airline ticket.  
As an enticement, I would like to tell you that Bob's presentation will be the highlights from 9 of the top 10 DXpeditions.  So, to say the least, those who attend the banquet are in for an outstanding presentation.
If there are any of you who would like to just go ahead and send your payment for the banquet dinner ($25) now, rather than waiting, that would also help the funding.
My intention is to give OKDXA members first option to RSVP for the banquet and then to put the word out to the various clubs around the state to offer any remaining seating to their members until we reach capacity (75 people).  If it turned out that we ended up with more people wanting to attend than the Best Western in Stroud could handle, then it'd be time for me to consider shopping around for a different meeting room that could accommodate more than 75 people.  That remains to be seen.
I realize I'm getting a very early start on this event, but Bob is a mighty busy fellow and I didn't want his schedule to fill up before we could lock him in.
One request, for all of you who are going to be sending funds to Charlie, please email him and CC: me and let us know.
For those of you who don't have that much familiarity with Bob, K4UEE, I strongly encourage you to go to QRZ.com and read his bio.  He's got one heckuva pedigree!
Thanks and 73,
Gene