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Dear members,
Happy belated Easter, and I hope this letter finds you healthy and ready for warmer weather. I just wanted to send out a quick note letting you know that our club is doing well and is successfully surviving some pretty trying and adverse times. I want to thank all our dedicated volunteers who give their time to help execute daily operations, and the events that our members have come and enjoyed. We have a great base of people, and I feel privileged to work along beside them. I also want to thank all the members who have made The Venetian Club their main stomping ground. Our club is far more than just a bar. Strangers have become friends, and those friends have become family. Everyday our members are bringing in new people that want to be part of what we have. I’m very proud to be a part of the community we are building. Just as an example, on April 9th we had a meat raffle with proceeds going to Gigi’s Playhouse. For those that don’t know, Gigi’s Playhouse is a Down’s Syndrome Achievement Center that provides free programs for families and is completely donation funded. Our members raised $2300 for very appreciative organization. Needless to say, it was a very emotional night. Thank you to all who participated.
This Lenten season has proven to be one of the busiest we’ve seen in years. Our Fish Fry crews, and staff have consistently catered to weekly crowds over 250, and on a few occasions came very close to 300. Our crews have been able to put out a great meal even though there have been major shortages, price hikes, and inconsistent products. We will continue our fish fry until May 27th, and resume after Labor Day on Sept. 9th. The Venetian Club Council has voted to give our crews a well-deserved break for the summer. We are now working out a summer Friday night grill schedule, planning to have steaks, pork chops, and anything else we can do outside. We encourage our members and their families to enjoy our outside patio, play bocce, and on occasion, enjoy live music.
We will continue our Monday thru Thursday outside concessions starting May 2. So come have a sandwich and watch some great Bocce. Concessions will also be open Sunday afternoons, and a couple times a month, we have lined up some great live music. Keep a watch out for the exact dates.
Don’t forget that we are now selling tickets for our Spring Fling/ New Year’s make up party. The menu includes Open bar cocktail hour, Steak, fried shrimp, tortellini Aglio E Olio (butter and Garlic), and Live music and dancing by the awesome band “Shuffle This”. All this for $30 a ticket. As of right now, we haven’t sold enough tickets to move forward with this event. So, get your butts to the bar and sign up.
Thank you for your time. Stay healthy, safe, and see you at “The Club”. Sincerely,
John A. Gasparini
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Fish Fry- Every Friday unless otherwise noted from 5:30p to 8p (Giving our volunteers a much needed break! Our last Fish Fry is May 27, 2022 and resumes on September 9, 2022)
Lunch - Served every Tuesday and Thursday from 12 until 2pm unless otherwise noted.
Sunday Lunch- Please pay attention to any new emails as days and times may vary depending on if there is a band or large book.
Sunday Breakfast- Fourth Sunday of each month unless otherwise noted.
Bocce - Begins May 2, 2022.
Kentucky Derby, Karaoke and Boostapalooza- Saturday May 7, 2022 beginning at 5pm.
Music on the Patio - This schedule is continuously changing, so please check back often.
Sunday May 29, 2022- Gary Band from 2-5pm
Sunday June 12, 2022 - Jestin Jay Trio 2-5pm
Sunday May 26, 2022 - Dirty Fishnet Stockings 2-5pm
Sunday July 3, 2022 - 3 Good Men 5:30-8:30pm
Sunday July 17, 2022 - Vintage Vinyl 2-5pm
Sunday July 31, 2022 - Denny Diamond 2-5pm
Sunday August 14, 2022 - Nick Sanzeri 2-5pm
Sunday August 28, 2022 - Distilled 2-5pm
Dear Venetian Club members,
We held a press conference in our banquet hall on February 11th to address a major sporting event we will host on August 7th of this year. The name of the event is the Gran Fondo, and is an international long distance bicycle race. The Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau approached us late last year about hosting this event, and now we have a three year contract to host future events. The race involves both 100 mile and 60 mile legs heading west on Elmwood road, and continuing in a loop through Winnebago county. Starting on Thursday 8/4/2022, we will be the site location for an expo to welcome racers, distribute race packets, and support organizers. On race day, Sunday 8/7, we will act as home base for the 7:00 a.m. race start. After the race, we will provide racers and visitors a pasta and dinner and plenty of beer to replenish those lost calories.
We expect anywhere from 400-1000 racers to participate, and see this as a great way to highlight our club. It has been estimated that this event will bring up to 1.3 million tourism dollars to the Rockford Area, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau is investing over $100,000 dollars to secure its future success. We are looking forward to hosting this event, and when the time comes, we will be looking for volunteers to assist us. The race is also open to local athletes, so if you know of any serious bicycle racers, it would be a great way for them to participate in a major international sporting event. Thank You, and see you at the club!
John A. Gasparini
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