Our 35th AOBS Gala is on October 20th, 2018 at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel in Newark Airport, NJ
The date of the 2018 AOBS Reunion is October 20, 2018. The event will be held at the Marriott Hotel in the Newark, NJ Airport. This will be a super event marking an extraordinary milestone in our organization’s history. We have named two honorees for this special occasion: bodybuilding legend – Chris Dickerson and Women’s Weightlifting pioneer – Judy Glenney.
Our daylong event begins at noon and ends officially at around 11 PM. During the day there will be presentations by Iron Game historians Mike Fera and Al Leung, an educational seminar and displays of oldtime strength feats by some of the rising stars of this field. The dinner itself will begin at 7 PM sharp. It includes a wonderful five-course dinner, presentations to our legendary honorees, terrific strength performances and many other surprises.
If you’d like to read a report on a prior reunion, to get an idea of what these special events are like, please click here.
Our 2018 Honorees
Chris Dickerson is one of the true greats in bodybuilding history. On the competitive level, he is the only man in bodybuilding history to win highest bodybuilding titles in all four major bodybuilding organizations: Mr. America (AAU), Mr. Universe (NABBA), Pro Mr. America (WBBG), and Mr. Olympia and Masters Olympia (IFBB). But he was also a pathbreaker on multiple levels. He was the first black AAU Mr. America (in 1970). He was the oldest man ever to win the Mr. Olympia title (at age 43), demonstrating not only his outstanding physique, but his outstanding longevity as well. He later went on to win the Masters Olympia, one of only two men ever to have won both the Open and Masters Mr. Olympia divisions. And on an artistic level, the photos he made with some of the most artistic physique photographers in history broke new ground in that. Chris was truly a bodybuilder’s bodybuilder.
Judy Glenney, coached by her husband Gary (a national championship medalist), began her lifting career by competing unofficially against men. She became involved in the movement to create a national weightlifting championship for women and not only won her (67.5 kg.) bodyweight category at the first Women’s Nationals (in 1981, in Waterloo, Iowa) but she out lifted every other woman in the competition – including the superheavyweights. She went on to win the next three Women’s Nationals in her bodyweight category and set national records. As a Master, she won the 1997 World Master’s Championships and the 1998 World Master’s Games, as well as five Master’s National Championships. Succeeding Mabel Rader, she served as Chair of the USAW’s Women’s Committee from 1983 to 1989, helping to promote the development of women’s lifting in the US and around the world. She served as a referee at both the first Women’s World Championships in 1987 and the first Olympic Games with a women’s competition, in 2000. Widely published, she wrote “So You Want to be a Female Weightlifter?” in 1989.
Mark your calendars for October 20, 2018. Don’t miss out on this one or you will regret it! Given the reputations of our honorees, we expect a sellout and will offer tickets on a first come first served basis. As our founder, Vic Boff, used to say “This will be our best reunion ever”. He meant it and so do we.
We are taking reservations for the event now (there are no ticket sales at the event – all reservations must be made in advance). You can purchase your tickets online or via regular mail. The dinner registration/payment deadline is Friday, October 12th.
ONLINE TICKET ORDERS – You can order tickets online with any major credit card, or through a PayPal account, by clicking on the “Buy Now” button below. Once you have paid, be sure and send an e-mail to LiftTech@earthlink.net, giving us the names of the people attending the dinner, the mailing address to which the tickets should be sent and your dinner entree choices (chicken, fish, vegetarian) here.
PLEASE NOTE THAT TICKETS WILL NOT BE MAILED UNTIL September of 2018, but if you order online you will receive an e-mail confirming your reservation shortly after we receive it. THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF RESERVATIONS IS FRIDAY OCTOBER 12th. Please make your reservations early as space is limited and we believe this will be a sold out event.
The price of the dinner will be $70 for a current donor (someone who has donated at least $25 to the organization with 12 months of the day of the gala, and an additional $70 for his/her first guest. However, for additional guests after the first one, the price is $80 per person. The price for all other dinners is $80 per person. There is no admission charge for viewing the events that take place during the day. However, only ticket holders will be admitted to the dinner in the evening.
Please remember that if you are staying overnight at the Marriott, a special $124 AOBS rate is available for Friday and Saturday evenings. However, you must make your hotel reservations by October 6, 2018, to enjoy this special rate. You can secure a reservation by contacting the hotel at 800.228.9290 or 973.623.0006.
We look forward to seeing you on October 20th!
Refunds and Late Reservations: While we cannot generally accept any reservation received after October 13th, or after we have reached capacity, we do occasionally have cancellations of reservations previously made. If you miss the reservation deadline and would like to be waitlisted, please contact us via e-mail at lifttech@earthlink.net and we will place you on a waiting list. Refund requests received after October 13th cannot be honored, unless there is a waitlisted person to take your place, as we must pay the hotel in advance for reservations made and those payments are not refundable to us.