- December 31st, 2020, 8:31 pm
#109543
Thanks to all of you for being a part of it over the years. And of course, most of all, thanks to Jay Miller, Max Cannon, Doug Robinson, and Rick Barber for running this site and keeping it going for many years longer than I ever imagined.
Before I flip the switch, I can't help but think of the members we lost, all of whom I came to know or know better because of this website. I knew Max Cannon before I started Carowinds Connection, but came to know him much better after I asked him to come on board as one of the original administrators in 2003. We lost Max in November 2014 but he was immortalized by the crew that built Fury 325 and I love knowing that his name is on the piece of track at the top of the lift. His death also sparked this website's finest moment: 52 people contributed $2,175 to help Carowinds Connection win the Fury 325 first rider auction in memory of Max. The first seat on the first train went out empty as a tribute to him, and the money was split between the Cam Newton Foundation, Catawba Valley Pride, American Diabetes Association, and National Kidney Foundation.
Howard Goldstein passed away in March 2016. In an extremely cruel twist he found out he had pancreatic cancer after feeling unwell at Fury 325 media day. I had only met Howard a couple of times before he got cancer, but we became unexpectedly close when he started spending extended periods of time in New York for treatment and we got to hang out several times, including an amazing day with his extended family at Coney Island.
Doug Robinson joined the site in 2008 and eventually became known here for his frequent Intimidator construction updates. It didn't take me long after meeting him to realize he would make a great admin for the site, but what I didn't know then was that he would also become a dear friend, and we only became closer after I moved to NYC. As you all know he died this past May, and the void he left behind has been incredibly hard for his friends, many of whom met him through here.
What I am most proud of as Carowinds Connection closes is the friendships and relationships that were formed here, which will continue long after the website is gone. So again, thank you all, and see you at the parks!
- 17.5 years
- 1,578 members
- 3,887 topics
- 106,035 posts
Thanks to all of you for being a part of it over the years. And of course, most of all, thanks to Jay Miller, Max Cannon, Doug Robinson, and Rick Barber for running this site and keeping it going for many years longer than I ever imagined.
Before I flip the switch, I can't help but think of the members we lost, all of whom I came to know or know better because of this website. I knew Max Cannon before I started Carowinds Connection, but came to know him much better after I asked him to come on board as one of the original administrators in 2003. We lost Max in November 2014 but he was immortalized by the crew that built Fury 325 and I love knowing that his name is on the piece of track at the top of the lift. His death also sparked this website's finest moment: 52 people contributed $2,175 to help Carowinds Connection win the Fury 325 first rider auction in memory of Max. The first seat on the first train went out empty as a tribute to him, and the money was split between the Cam Newton Foundation, Catawba Valley Pride, American Diabetes Association, and National Kidney Foundation.
Howard Goldstein passed away in March 2016. In an extremely cruel twist he found out he had pancreatic cancer after feeling unwell at Fury 325 media day. I had only met Howard a couple of times before he got cancer, but we became unexpectedly close when he started spending extended periods of time in New York for treatment and we got to hang out several times, including an amazing day with his extended family at Coney Island.
Doug Robinson joined the site in 2008 and eventually became known here for his frequent Intimidator construction updates. It didn't take me long after meeting him to realize he would make a great admin for the site, but what I didn't know then was that he would also become a dear friend, and we only became closer after I moved to NYC. As you all know he died this past May, and the void he left behind has been incredibly hard for his friends, many of whom met him through here.
What I am most proud of as Carowinds Connection closes is the friendships and relationships that were formed here, which will continue long after the website is gone. So again, thank you all, and see you at the parks!