Our club celebrated the holiday season with our Winterfest dinner on Friday, January 15 at Papa Joe's Restaurant in Orland Park. Twenty-five members and guests enjoyed the fellowship and fine food that was provided. We enjoyed a family-style dinner beginning with pasta fazul and followed by cucumber salad, pasta salad and garden salad. We then were served vegetables, mashed potatoes, baked chicken and sausages with peppers and onions. The dinner was completed with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. There was plenty of food for all with refills as needed. During the dinner, Jim Mornar presented Matt, KA9BBQ, with a nice plaque for being the top new DXer of the year with 88 all-time new entities worked during 2015. Nice going, Matt! We also had "split the pot" and door prize drawings following our meal. Thanks to Lee WA9LEY, our event coordinator, there were prizes for everyone! Prizes were donated by Ham Radio Outlet (The 2015 ARRL Handbook), MFJ, DX Engineering and K9LSH. In attendance were Jim N9TK with YL Laura, Bob K9CJ, Mike K9LSH, Matt KA9BBQ with XYL Barb KA9BAG, Sue K9XYL (Sue is the XYL of Mike K9AJ who is on the DXpedition to VP8), Delores (XYL of Frank K9BWQ), Bob N9ORD with XYL Trudie, Phil N9LAH with XYL Cindy, Lee WA9LEY with XYL Chris, Val NV9L, Paul K9NU, Mike W9MK Jerry K9PY with XYL Brenda, Mark K9TP, George W9OA with XYL MaryAnn, Kurt WB9FMC with XYL Helen, and John W9ILY. Here are some photos, thanks to WA9LEY, of the event:

        The dinner begins...                                                                                  K9NU, W9MK and W9OA

                              Laura, N9TK K9LSH and K9CJ                    Jim presenting Matt, KA9BBQ, with the Most Improved DXer award

    Our door prize table courtesy of MFJ, HRO, DXE and K9LSH                   Helen and WB9FMC checking out the MFJ clock

                           NV9L, N9TK and KA9BBQ                            Watching the prizes being announced with N9LAH and K9TP from behind

                                                                        N9ORD, K9XYL, NV9L and KA9BBQ was W9ILY holds up the next prize

 N9TK discussing an important subject with WB9FMC and K9PY                 K9LAH, K9CJ and Brenda (K9PY XYL) in the foreground

     The prizes keep on coming! K9PY won the ARRL Handbook.                       N9TK discussing a prize with W9MK