WSDC’s inaugural event at West Yellowstone, Montana was held on July 8th - 15th, 2007.

The organization founders, Russell Kellmer of California and Jim Allen of Montana handled all the arrangements for the gathering. Allen handled negotiations for the RV sites, convention hall, and bus tours; Kellmer created the flyers, combination tickets, and other printed materials in addition to chairing registration.

RV sites were mostly situated within a mile of each other - close enough that campers could walk wherever they needed to be. Whether they wanted to visit with each other, head over to the city park for games during the day, or the convention hall for evening fun, nothing was too far that it couldn’t be reached on foot. The largest RV site had over eighty rigs, although there were hotel accommodations nearby for people without vehicles of their own. In all, 222 combination tickets were sold in advance; additional individual tickets were sold on-site.

The week’s events were thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Sunday’s agenda included icebreakers and other games, and appetizers and drinks were available to attendees. Daytime activities Wednesday through Saturday included Golf Bola and Beanbag Baseball and card games like Wipeout and Mexican Washers. Tours were taken on Monday and Tuesday to Yellowstone National Park, Virginia City, Nevada City and the site of a major earthquake that laid to waste all in its path. 222 campers attended the closing banquet, which was catered by Holiday Inn. Campers from Kansas, Montana, and Nebraska provided the evening’s entertainment in the form of skits. After the banquet, photographs were taken for posterity and the website.

Russell Kellmer and Jim Allen would like to thank the volunteers for their time spent in making this event a smash hit. Volunteers from the Big Sky Recreation Association of the Deaf prepared most meals: big breakfast buffet, BBQ dinner, and even a baked bean contest between the campers. Big Sky volunteers also coordinated the games and other events that took place over the course of the week. Russell would also like to thank the volunteers from California who took the time to stuff and prepare the registration packets prior to the gathering.

All in all, the event was a great success, as evidenced by the group’s agreement to continue meeting biennially for years to come; everyone left with good feelings and happy memories. As a result, we’re eagerly looking forward to the June 2009 gathering in Estes Park, Colorado!