MENU

On Saturday, February 14th, around 90 members and guests of VOA Illinois gathered at the Marriott Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois for the highly anticipated 2026 Winterfest celebration. This year marked the 15th consecutive Winterfest hosted at this venue, and the Valentine's Day-themed event was a true testament to the enduring spirit of the Viper community. The evening kicked off with a special welcome gift for club members, designed by long-time club member Howie Frank. Each member received a generation-specific Viper light-up sign, an exclusive, one-of-a-kind keepsake that added a personal touch to the celebration.

Before the cocktail hour, members were treated to an exclusive tech talk with three of the Spirit Viper Team experts Dick Winkles, Ken Nowak, and John Donato. The trio shared fascinating stories from their time with Team Viper and answered questions from the audience, giving everyone a behind-the-scenes look into the world of Viper development.

As the night unfolded, guests enjoyed a delightful Valentine’s Day-themed dinner featuring a variety of food stations. The menu included a build-your-own pasta bar, prime rib, roasted vegetables, and chicken, all perfectly complemented by a dessert and coffee station. The food stations were a hit, with something for everyone to enjoy. Entertainment for the evening included DJ services and a slideshow provided by Trevor Wolfe and family that showcased highlights from the past year, including coverage from NVE6 in Pittsburgh. Guests were also entertained by a talented live singer and keyboard player, Marcell Guyton, whose music set the perfect tone for the celebration.

The festivities continued with a heartfelt presentation from Club President Rob Buckman. During his remarks, Rob asked the crowd, “What do you love about your Viper?” Many members answered that they loved their Viper because of its raw power and superior handling. However, overwhelmingly, the answer was the people and the camaraderie of the club.

Then it was time for the awards! Club sponsors and members who had shown exceptional dedication and support to the club were honored with Howie Awards, created by Howie Frank. The “Howie” is a very special and one-of-a-kind award. After more than 25 years of creating club awards, Howie Frank introduced a new annual honor by 3D printing Speedform cars using the last five forms provided by Jhan Dolphin at Prefix. The forms were scanned and redesigned into an Oscar-style trophy dubbed “The Howie.” After overcoming the challenge of achieving a professional gold finish, the award was completed with a custom base and nameplate, approved by the Illinois board and the NVE 6 committee. Now in its second year, a new variation is underway for NVE 7.

This year’s recipients included top-tier sponsors, board members, and individuals who have gone above and beyond for the club: Larry and Nancy Friend, Jimmie and Jeremy Walker, Mark Schumann, Gary Grube, and Liberty Auto of Libertyville, IL. and a special service award to Rosa Gueili.

The ballroom was also graced with stunning Vipers on display, courtesy of VOA Illinois members Matt Schutte, Steve Anders, Trevor Wolfe, and Jimmy Walker. Their red Vipers were a perfect fit for the Valentine’s Day theme, adding to the atmosphere of automotive passion that defines the club.

Throughout the evening, guests had the opportunity to win fantastic raffle prizes, including purses and jewelry for the ladies, car-related items, a neon sign of the Road America track, a Gen 5 Viper logo sign, an electric scooter, travel accessories, and more. Some special highlights were the Valentine themed gift baskets, the Hawaiian-themed gift basket and the heart shaped gold necklace that everyone loved. Two major giveaways stole the spotlight: A GoPro Hero13 was won by Dave Livengood, and Evan Johnson won a Marriott-sponsored prize that included a free night's stay and breakfast at the Schaumburg Marriott.

In addition to catching up with old friends and mingling with fellow enthusiasts, attendees enjoyed bidding on specialty items, posing for photos at the Valentine’s Day photo display, and shopping at the merchandise store, which featured a wide array of Viper-themed goods, as well as prints and photographs.

Everyone was excited when it came time to win the centerpieces! The heart-shaped table centerpieces, created by Howie Frank and sponsored by Larry and Nancy Friend, were awarded through a spirited game of "Heads or Tails." Each centerpiece featured a light-up Viper collectible, and one lucky winner from each table took home the unique display.

At the heart of the evening was the spirit of camaraderie that defines VOA Illinois. As the VOA club slogan goes, "Come for the car, stay for the people." Winterfest was the perfect embodiment of this sentiment. Special thanks to the hard work of the board members and volunteers for their countless hours of effort in organizing the party and to everyone who helped. Winterfest is a great way to come together during the off-season to catch up, recap the prior year, and get excited for the year ahead. 2026 is shaping up to be another amazing year with our Viper friends!

 

Leave a comment

Leave this field empty
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Submit

0 Comments

Previous Post

Archive

Go
CLOSE