REGION 5

By: Sara Barnwell — Region 5 Director

Happy November, Region 5 Friends!  We are at the end of a great USAWE year, with some Board of Directors members cycling off the board, some soon to join us, and at the end of the first year of my (two year) term as your Regional Director.  November is, of course, also the month of Thanksgiving, so it is a good time to thank and acknowledge our fabulous USAWE team members who have helped make this year incredible for all of us.  

First, thank you to our new members this year and everyone who came to a show for the first time!  Thank you to our long-time members who help make everyone feel welcome, included and supported at our events!  It takes a village, and we have a strong village in Region 5.  Thank you, Affiliate Organizations – the growth we have seen this year is due to your hard work and dedication.  I love seeing the increased growth and interest in places like Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota – I hope to be able to come to events and shows in your states soon.  Congratulations to the Minnesota team for your first licensed show weekend in 2024 – looks like we expect to have two weekends in 2025!  To all of the professionals who work with us in Region 5 – thank you for always going above and beyond to help us be prepared, give us confidence, and ensure we are ready to be successful when we participate in our great sport!  Show managers and show volunteers – we couldn’t do any of this without you – thank you for making our shows fabulous.  To our youth (and young adult) members – you are such a special part of our community!  Thank you for being part of what makes our region great.  Please be sure to thank your parents and family for all of their support and contributions to our community.  Finally, thank you to everyone who is volunteering behind the scenes for USAWE – my fellow board members and everyone on the committees.  We appreciate your dedication, commitment, and many long hours to run USAWE.  

I have learned something important this year since I have gotten more involved, and I want to share it with all of you.  There are incredible people in this sport, just like the people in Region 5, all over the country!  Volunteering with the Board and on committees is a great way to give back to our awesome sport and the bonus is that you will also get to know the greater USAWE community.  If you have any interest and are not sure where to start, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator or feel free to contact me directly (r5director@usawe.org).  

I would love to spotlight and acknowledge our awesome members all year long through the newsletter and social media so please help me make that happen by sharing ideas and stories!  Thank you all for a fabulous year!