Honorary Chair Sir Edmund Hillary 1919-2008	President Daniel A. Bennett	Honorary President Don Walsh, Ph.D.

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CENTENNIAL EXPLORERS CLUB ANNUAL DINNER Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, New York City Saturday, March 20th, 2004 Three cheers for The Explorers Club! The year 2004 marks the centennial of the founding of our esteemed organization here in New York City by a group of prominent explorers. We celebrated this year, as we have done for the past one hundred, with our famed Explorers Club Annual Dinner, which this year was attended by some 1,500 Club members and invited guests. Full Selection of Official Photos Now Available for Order Official photos from the dinner are now available for order from Shutterfly.com. View or order photos in the following online albums: Banquet holds 110 photos of the banquet and the famed exotics. Dais01 holds 158 photos of the dais, speakers, and honorees. Dais02 holds 146 additional photos of the dais, speakers, and honorees, plus the triumphal and treacherous entrance on horseback by the evening's emcees. Guests01 holds 151 photos of guests. Guests02 holds an additional 167 photos of guests. Happenings holds 238 photos of Fowler's animals, the auctions, the Rolex raffle, our volunteers, and more. The Dinner The theme of the dinner was "A Century at the Forefront of Exploration" and we invited a number of our fellow members who have made historical contributions in the past century. Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two men to summit Mount Everest; Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon; and Stephen Squyres, the scientific director of the Mars lander Opportunity, were the featured speakers for the evening. They were joined on the dais by other giants in exploration from the 20th century, including Don Walsh, who in 1960 made history by co-piloting the bathyscaphe Trieste to the deepest point in the Earth’s oceans (35,800 feet below sea level); Bertrand Piccard, who completed the first successful around-the-world balloon flight in 1999; Sylvia Earle, the noted oceanographer whom Time magazine called a "hero of the planet"; and legendary Club members Norman Vaughan and Brad Washburn. Jim Fowler, the Club’s honorary president, well known for his appearances on television’s Today and Tonight shows and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, was one of our masters of ceremonies. Other emcees included ECAD 2004 chair John Reilly and Explorers Club president Richard C. Wiese. In line with the serious scientific purposes of the Club, members Kenneth J. Lacovara and Coleman Burke, who carried flag number 132 on the Patagonia Dinosaur Project expedition, made a special announcement about a major scientific breakthrough in the field of paleontology. But even scientists need to have a little fun: Fowler brought several surprise ambassadors from the animal kingdom, and Reilly and Weise made a dramatic entrance on horseback. The Annual Dinner is famous for its exotic hors d’oeuvres, which in past years have included everything from tarantulas, scorpions, and crickets, to alligators and beaver. This year’s menu featured similar delectable, non-endangered treats. Every guest at the sold-out dinner received a complimentary orchid lei, courtesy of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. The beautiful garlands were made possible through one of the largest shipments ever of fresh flower leis from Hawaii. Honors Five explorers were awarded special honors from the Club during the Annual Dinner. David Hempleman-Adams, the first person to cross the Atlantic solo in an open wicker-basket balloon, received the Explorers Medal, the Club's highest honor. Wade Davis, PhD received an Honorary Membership for a lifetime of exceptional achievement as an explorer and field scientist. Dr. Mike Manyak received the Sweeney Medal for his outstanding contributions to the welfare of the Club. Monika Rogozinska received the Citation of Merit for exceptional service to the Polish Chapter and to The Explorers Club as a whole. Graham Hawkes received the William Beebe Quadrennial Award for his exceptional contributions to deep sea exploration and ocean science. Centennial Live Auction The evening's Live Auction was conducted by expert auctioneer Hugh Hildesley from Sotheby's. Most items were displayed during the receptions at ECAD. The Live Auction is another great way to raise funds for the Club. Many thanks to the generous donors who made this auction possible. Shh! Centennial Silent Auction The Silent Auction has proven an important and enjoyable way to raise funds for the Club. Browse a listing of a few of the items and services offered. Many thanks to our members for their generous and imaginative donation of items and services which made this auction possible. Raffle: The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer II Watch Our corporate sponsor, Rolex Watch U.S.A, Inc., once again generously donated the Explorer II stainless steel watch with a special 24-hour bezel and Oysterlock bracelet for our raffle. This traditional ECAD fundraiser generates much needed revenue for the Club. In honor of our 100th anniversary, the watch was specially engraved with our Centennial Year logo. Centennial ECAD Weekend: Schedule of Events As always, the entire weekend was a time for celebration and for important official business of the club. We hope this Centennial ECAD weekend was inspiring, productive, and enjoyable for all. Jack Reilly, Chair 2004 Explorers Club Annual Dinner

SPECIAL EVENTS Annual Dinner Lowell Thomas Film Festival Photo Competition Centennial Year Honors Image Gallery Reservations

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