2014 Caravan National Chair Announced
Paul is currently the ambassador to the Museum for the Queen City Corvette Club in Charlotte, NC, and previously was the ambassador for the Corvette Club of Santa Barbara, CA. He is a member of the NCRS and was a participant of the Southern California caravan in 1999, co-captain of the Southern California caravan in 2003, and sponsorship/advertising chairman for the 2009 North Carolina / South Carolina / Virginia caravan. "When Roc Linkov, NCM Events Manager, asked if I would do it, I did have a little trepidation," said Paul. "But as when I agreed to take the Southern California caravan at the last minute, I thought if not me then who? I have such a deep love affair with the museum that I want to contribute as much as I can, wherever I can. Without the great help that my wife Barbara provides, I could not manage to take on any of these caravan tasks. I just hope I can provide the service that everyone has entrusted to me." Paul is an avid supporter of the National Corvette Museum, the Corvette Race Team and the Corvette lifestyle. He currently owns a 1967 big block coupe Corvette and a 2007 Z06. The 5th National Corvette Caravan will take place the first week of September, 2014. Regional caravans will form and join other caravans as they travel across the United States to gather in Bowling Green, Kentucky for four days of festivities at the National Corvette Museum. "A national caravan such as this requires years of planning and coordinating and the Museum is fortunate to have a volunteer like Paul to take on this monumental task," stated National Corvette Museum Executive Director, Wendell Strode. We're excited to have Paul leading this event! Thursday, June 17, 2010 2014 Corvette Caravan - Letter from the ChairMany thanks to all of you who have already sent your best wishes and offers of help. All support is greatly appreciated. I most certainly will be soliciting your assistance, advice, and action in the days and months to come. Although the next caravan is four years away, the time will pass so rapidly we will wonder why all the planning didn't start in 2009. With that certainty in mind, I have set the following goals for completion by the end of this year. I want to have all the caravan segments identified and the captains for each assigned. So, how do we get there by Christmas? First, I am soliciting inputs from all those who would like to captain a caravan segment in 2014, both past and future captains. If you felt like your area of the country was not served by an authorized caravan and you think an added segment is warranted, let me know. If you are a past captain and wish to assume the task again, let me know. If you weren't a captain on the last caravan, but would like to lead a group this time, let me know. In other words, to paraphrase the rum commercial, "calling all caravan captains". Please let me know your telephone number when responding. Once the captains have been installed, we can begin to massage the routes. Not down to the rest stops, but the overall plan to ensure we have optimized all the routes. The traffic pattern from the past caravan will be the basis for the one in 2014. Some additions, deletions, and modifications may occur, but in general, not much will differ from that successful event. I do want to review all the past routes so I am familiar with how the segments were connected. Having been involved in the organizing and funding of two caravans, I know all the hard work is done by the caravan captains and their local teams. My job will be to help make that task as trouble free as possible and keep everyone informed, on a timely basis, of the caravan status. In addition, the NCM will be streamlining the registration process and further reducing the workload of the captains. I solicit all participants to join in and help support your captain. It is a huge task to raise funds, book venues, publish route books, time daily routes, etc. Please volunteer and become part of the caravan process. You won't be sorry. This caravan will mark the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the museum and the silver anniversary of its conception. We have the opportunity to make it the largest and best caravan ever. All we need is an abundance of new ideas and a ton of hard work. You can contact me at vettltd@hotmail.com. I promise to get back to you within a 24 hour period. One exception, I will be out of the country from June 8 until June 27. If I can reach a computer, I'll get back to you during this time. Paul Mariano Friday, August 6, 2010 Caravan CaptainsThe first group of captains have been selected and are already starting work on planning the 2014 caravan. Consideration for other captains is still in progress and we do need more volunteers. Thanks to those now in place and your dedication is much appreciated. SOUTHEAST TEXAS/AL/LA/MS - Glenn Johnson,- Port Neches, TX Paul Mariano Wednesday, August 25, 2010 Caravan CaptainsI am pleased to announce the second group of captains for the 2014 NCM Caravan. These volunteers are dedicated to producing the largest and most enthusiastic caravan to date to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the National Corvette Museum. All captains can use help in all disciplines, so if you have a special talent in fund raising, media promotion, graphic arts, or other planning areas, please let your area captain know you are willing to help. ARKANSAS - Jan Marshall - Uniontown,AR Paul Mariano Friday, August 6, 2010 Click here to sign up for Caravan Chat |
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They come from miles around...lines of colorful Corvettes, all generations represented, traveling from every continental United State and
even a few foreign countries to gather in the Home of the Corvette. 2014 will bring the 5th National Corvette Caravan and will mark the 20th
Anniversary of the National Corvette Museum. Leading the spectacle is Paul Mariano of Huntersville, NC, a 20-year Museum member who is not
only a lifetime member of the Museum but also a founding member.Copyright © 2010 National Corvette Museum. All rights reserved.