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Hershey Harrisburg Region Welcomes 34th Annual Toothpick Holders Convention & Renowned Artists Charles Lotton and Stan Munro
Release Date: Jul 20, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 20, 2010 CONTACT: Judy Knauer
w/ Fact Sheet & Artist Info NTHCS Founder/Event Chair
610-431-3477
Hershey Harrisburg Region Welcomes 34th Annual Toothpick Holders Convention & Renowned Artists Charles Lotton and Stan Munro
Three-day event with educational sessions & featured speakers is free to the public
Harrisburg, PA (2010) – The Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau today announced details of the National Toothpick Holder Collectors' Society convention coming to Four Points by Sheraton in Harrisburg on Thursday, August 12, 2010. The free public events from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, August 14, include educational sessions and presentations by renowned artists Charles Lotton and Stan Munro.
Lotton was asked by event organizers to create the commemorative toothpick holder that is traditionally made each year for the members. Public events this year include a toothpick auction, ID Clinic, competitive displays, studio art glass, and World Fair china toothpick holders.
“We love having the opportunity to host unique conventions like this one,” said Sharon Altland, Director of Sales at the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. “Hosting off-the-beaten-path gatherings such as toothpick holder enthusiasts or the milk bottle collectors earlier this year introduces our region to a broad new range of visitors from all over this country and all walks of life. That broad reach goes a long way for return visitation when you consider the power that word-of-mouth has on people planning vacations.”
According to event planners, the National Toothpick Holder Collectors Society includes over six hundred members from all over the world. The Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau is assisting in lodging arrangements for all members of the society, as well as regional tours during the event.
“We select a different destination for our convention each year, and the Hershey-Harrisburg Region has been on our list for some time because it has so much to offer our attendees,” said Judy Knauer, Founder and Convention Chairperson. “We anticipate members will spend additional time in the area visiting the various attractions and doing some antiquing, of course.”
National Toothpick Holder Collector Society (NTHCS)
Fact Sheet
Organization: National Toothpick Holder Collector Society
Web Site: www.nthcs.org
Annual Convention:Members of NTHCS keep in touch throughout the year and have one yearly Convention in the United States. The location changes each year.
First Started: NTHCS was started in 1973 by Judy Knauer.
Membership: NTHCS is known globally and has members from all over the world. The society currently has over six hundred members. Members pay $25 per household (United States) and $30 per household (European) to be a member of the society. Members also receive six newsletters a year with information, pictures and member information from the society.
Mission: NTHCS supports and promotes the collecting of toothpick holders.
The society also is dedicated to the written knowledge and research of toothpick holders for members and non-members.
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About the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors
Bureau
The Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau (HHRVB) is the official non-profit partnership-based Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) serving Dauphin and Perry Counties in Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads Region. HHRVB is a Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) accredited organization committed to actively marketing the region locally, domestically, and internationally to leisure and business travelers, event organizers, and group tour leaders in order to stimulate the local economy and support tourism-related jobs. For more information on this organization and the region, visit HersheyHarrisburg.org, email: Info@HersheyHarrisburg.org, or call 877-727-8573.
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Facebook.com/HersheyHarrisburg; Twitter.com/HHRVBand@HHRVB4Media; YouTube.com/HersheyHarrisburg; Flickr.com/photos/HersheyHarrisburg and VacationPlanning.net/HersheyHarrisburgBlog.
Featured Artists
Starting in 1970 part time in his backyard, Charles Lotton was the first artist to decorate the outside of a paper weight. Never done before his time, Lotton also coined an “onion skin” paper weight. Lotton also created his own secret “recipe” for a variety of glass colors after melting down Coke bottles for a period of time. In the business for 40 years this year, Lotton has created a new style of glass at the strong age of 74, “Cypriot Multi Flora.”
The gallery also features numerous other world-renowned painters as well as various other glass artists.
After spending time broadcasting radio shows and reporting crime stories across the country, Stan Munro returned to his original sixth grade obsession, building toothpick structures. After much convincing of his nothing less than supportive wife, Munro constructed his first Toothpick City in 2003 and sold it briefly after in 2005. The first structure is now on display at House of Katmandu in Mallorca, Spain. Still following his joy of toothpick building, Munro started the second Tooth Pick City soon after. The second structure will be made of 40 worldwide famous religious buildings and tall towers. All major religions will be represented in this exhibit including Notre Dame, The Blue Mosque, The Vatican, Wat Arun and the Grand Mosque. Tooth pick City II will be the world’s largest toothpick structure with nearly 4 million toothpicks.
“Toothpick City II represents mankind’s quest for the heavens whether spiritual or physical. The exhibit will honor architectural achievement, religious diversity, and historical accuracy,” quoted Stan.
Munro recently won one of the Top 10 Winners in Mutual of Omaha’s Aha Moments and will be featured in their commercial.
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