Snowbird News
Wed. Snowbird Dinner Dances at Cove
The Cove Bar & Grill in Gulf Shores is hosting Snowbird dinner dances every Wednesday night from 6-9 p.m., with live music provided by Ron, Burt and Marvin. The Cove Bar and Grill is located at 131 Cove Ave. For more info, call 251-968-5353, 859-380-2281 or email rgnessler @twc.com.
Iowa
By Fran Gruenhaupt
The Iowa Snowbird Club will meet Wednesday, March 7 at 8:30 AM at the Perdido Beach Resort, 27200 East Perdido Beach Boulevard in Orange Beach for a social and breakfast meeting, $10.50 per person. Reservations for the breakfast can be made on the website: Iowa-Alabamagulfcoastsnowbirds.org (preferred), or by calling Shari DeCook, 641-521-0929 or Sharon Hesselmann, 563-357-2721. There will be no program or drawings.
With co-presidents, Steve and Chris Hedlund presiding, the February 21 breakfast featured a representative from the Orange Beach Mayor’s Office, Nicole Woerner, a well-informed local nature specialist who explained the Shoreline Enhancement Program and the Wildlife Center in Orange Beach. Pelicans are the most frequent birds brought in for treatment and rehab. Steve and Chris Hedlund, Co-Presidents, introduced Jim and Pat Brush who will work with them as Co-Presidents in the 2018-19 winter Iowa Snowbird season.
Iowans should watch the website for further information on other breakfasts and cocktail parties in 2019.
St. Thomas By The Sea Friday fish-frys go through March 9
The Knights of Columbus of St Thomas by the Sea fish frys will run through March 9, 2018. The fish fry will be from 4PM to 6PM each Friday at the Parish Center in the rear of the church. Proceeds from the fish fry are used by the Knights to help support various charities in the local area during Christmas. Plates are $10/person. In addition to the dinner, there will be a 50/50 drawing each week. St Thomas is located at 26547 Perdido Beach Blvd in Orange Beach. See you there.
Missouri
By Nick Barr
The Missouri Club of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach is one of the smaller state snowbird clubs, with about 75-90 members. We gather on alternate Wednesdays for business meetings and for breakfast meetings. Our club is primarily social . It’s a good way to make new friendships that will continue when you return north. Lifetime membership is $10/person. For more information, contact Nick Barr: stlouisnick@sbcglobal.net or mosnowbirds.org.
Foley Art Center Snowbird sessions
Snowbird art sessions at the Foley Art Center are scheduled every Wednesday beginning Feb. 7 for only $5 per class for instructor-led painting classes from 10-11:30 a.m. through March 21.
Each day we will tackle a new painting, and each day snowbird artists will learn new painting techniques and leave at the end of the session with a completed masterpiece! Paintings will be led by demonstration and cover acrylic and watercolor mediums. All supplies are provided! The Foley Art Center is located at 211 N McKenzie St. (Hwy. 59). Info: (251) 943-4381.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Snowbird Club meets each Tuesday for an informational breakfasts through mid March at GT’s On The Bay located on 26189 Canal Rd, Orange Beach. For directions. Reservations are not required. Doors open 7:30 am; breakfast 8:00 am. Cost: $10, includes tax and tip. Cash or check only. We cannot accept bills over $20. Food donations and/or cash are gratefully accepted at each meeting for the Christian Service Center, the dedicated project of the MN Club. For information regarding upcoming events, golf tee times, or a contact number log onto mnal.org or facebook.
Plantation Resort Church
The Plantation Resort church service every Sunday morning at 9am. Bldg.#4 Conference Room. Running now through Easter Sunday, non denominational, everyone welcome! For more information call Kent Gerber, Chaplain, at 336-529-2372.
Snowbird Cribbage every Friday
Snowbirds are gathering to play Cribbage every Friday. Sign up starts at 12:30 pm and play begins at 1 pm at the Gulf Shores American Legion, Post 44, 6781 Hwy. 59. For additional information, contact Barbara Beamish at 989-464-8605. The last day of play is March 9. All Cribbage players are welcome to play.
Snowbird Singles
The Snowbird Singles will meet on March 12 at Cactus Cantina, on 25910 Canal Road, Orange Beach at 11:30 AM. Come and enjoy a meal and meet friends and new Snowbirds. For more information contact Barb at 414-801-0715 OR bionicbarbs@aol.com. .
Snowbird softball every Wed.
By John McCabe
On each Monday and Wednesday at 9:30 AM at the Bodenhammer Center in Gulf Shores you are invited to join us to play slow pitch softball at the baseball/ softball fields. On most Fridays we play against Pensacola’s Seniors at alternating locations. On Monday and Wednesday we have batting practice and then a pickup game. There is a good blend of locals and snowbirds. The players abilities are not a consideration for play. The moderating weather permitted us to begin play. The included photo is from our first meeting this year. Should you have any questions please contact John McCabe at 251-981-9787.
Snowbird Men’s Coffee Club
By Larry Cole
The Gulf Shores Men’s Snowbird Coffee Club hold their meetings at Ginny Lane Bar and Grill, 4851 Wharf Pkwy. E., Orange Beach every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Membership information is available at these meetings. The oldest continually active snowbird club has more than 300 members from twenty-six states and three Canadian provinces. Besides raising money for local charities, the club holds golf outings, sponsors casino trips and conducts breakfast meetings for members and spouses. The club also throws horseshoes on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at noon at Meyer Park in Gulf Shores.
North & South Dakota
The Gulf Shores based North and South Dakota Snowbird Club meets on alternate Tuesday mornings, with the final meeting slated March 6. We gather at Luna’s Eat & Drink, 25753 Canel Road, Orange Beach, at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast with a short meeting to follow at 9 a.m. We also hold several other social events throughout the winter season including pot lucks, dinner at local restaurants, etc. While in Gulf Shores we collect food and infant items at our breakfast meetings for the local food pantry and also contribute to other not for profit fundraisers in the local Baldwin County area. For more information contact Joyce at 605-351-0274.
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Snowbird Club meets Wednesday mornings for breakfast for the final time on March 7. For place of meeting information and our other activities please contact Rich Smith at 484 264 1394 or bettyrich@rcn.com.
New York
By Frank Panczyszyn
New York’s last luncheon will be Thursday, March 8 at Ginny Lane. They will gather for registration at 11AM, and begin lunch at 1130AM. They will select from a special menu and receive separate checks. $1 per person will be collected at registration. Guest speaker will be Mark Berte Executive Director, Alabama Coastal Foundation. For attendance, if you haven’t already done so, contact Tracy by text or call 585-748-0133, or email nysnowbirds@gmail.com no later than March 5th. The New York snowbirds will make donations to individuals and organizations in the community of $600 this year, in recognition of the wonderful things they have accomplished and appreciation for their support of snowbirds from the Empire State. We look forward to our return in 2019.
A New York foursome enjoyed participating in the Baldwin County Heritage Museum Golf Tournament at Glen Lakes, finishing respectfully, but well off the pace. Six tables of 8 participated in Trivia Night fund raiser for the Libraries, one of which (predominately friends of New Yorkers and local “ringers”) came in 4th out of 70 tables, and others doing fairly well in spite of some tricky questions.
We understand that the libraries earned $13,000 from that enjoyable event.
Wisconsin
By Nancy Durgin
The WI Sno-bird Club meets in March at the Orange Beach Community Center (OBCC) at 8:30 am for coffee and donuts with the meetings beginning at 9 am. Everyone from WI is welcome to join us!
– Wednesday, March 7 – 8:30 am meeting at OBCC; Thursday, March 8 – Gulf Coast Zoo Fun Day – RSVP for lunch; Wednesday, March 14 – 8:30 am meeting at OBCC (Note that it is ONE week after 1st meeting!); Wednesday, March 21 – 8 am breakfast at The Diner; Wednesday, March 28 – 8 am breakfast at Duck’s Diner; Sunday, April 1 – Easter Dinner at OBCC, gather at 12:30 pm, dinner at 2 pm; Wednesday, April 4 – 8 am breakfast at Tacky Jacks; Wednesday, April 11 – 8 am breakfast at Hot Rod Diner.
Skins Games slated March 4
The City of Orange Beach Golf Center will hold Skins Game tournaments on the first Sunday of each month through April, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Each player places $5 to a pot for Skins and $2 in a pot for closest-to-the-pin on a designated hole.
There are nine Orange Beach merchants sponsoring a hole-in-one, which pays $250. Free hot dogs will be served prior to the tournament. The Orange Beach Golf Center is located at 4700 Easy Street, off of Canal Road. Info: 251-981-GOLF(4653). The 9-Hole, Par-3 Course is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lighted Driving Range is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Indiana
By Becky Chatham-Heidenreich
Only one more breakfasts for the IN Snowbird Club on March 8. The breakfasts are held at the Luna Event Center located next to Cosmos behind Buzcatz Coffee Shop on Canal Rd. The cost for the buffet breakfast is $10 per person (no bills over $20). The doors open at 7:30 and breakfast is served at 8:00. The annual dues are $2.50. We have a 50/50 drawing ($1 per ticket, or 6 tickets for $5.00, or $13 tickets for $10) and great door prizes. Call Jan Pell, 317-914-5832, for reservations.