On Wednesday, July 18th, the Dresden Community Association hosted the 4th Annual Dave Longaberger Legacy Dinner at the Virtues Golf Course Banquet Room in Nashport, Ohio. It was a beautiful evening with lots of laughter and talking amongst the close to 145 guests, DCA members, and the Longaberger Family. Walking into the lower lobby doorway you could see a line of Longaberger fans wrapped clear around the corner for a chance to get the Longaberger family members as well as the first Longaberger weaver and consultant to sign some of their baskets as a memento of their visit to the event. Many of the guests were greeting the family members and telling as well as listening to stories about the company’s history and the legacy of their patriarch Dave “Popeye” Longaberger.
Several of the Dresden shop owners had tables set up in the hallway to sell merchandise and were offering discount sales for the guests that visited Dresden before and after the dinner. One shop even had a “Midnight Madness” sale directly after the event, inviting people to stop by their shop and browse, win door prizes, and mingle until midnight.
Inside the banquet room, they had a few tables set up with Longaberger baskets on display for a silent auction. After dinner was served the Longaberger family members were asked to come to the front and speak to the guests. They reminisced about Dave and the many things he did for the family and for people in general. Gary Longaberger remembered a time when Dave had Popeye’s Restaurant in Dresden and he said if you had a meeting with Dave there you would have to pay for your dinner, but if you just happened to be there with your family when Dave stopped in and you talked to Dave chances are when you went to check out you would find that he had already paid for your meal. Together they spoke of other family anecdotes that made everyone laugh and remember the way things were when Dave was around.
Some of the guests traveled from all over the country to be at the dinner. They drove from places like Maryland, New Jersey, Maine, and California to name a few from the list of at least 14 states you could find represented in the parking lot of Virtues. A group of women from central Iowa said that they had been coming to the dinner all 4 years and that it was a great event to honor Dave.
The Dresden Community Association was very happy with the turnout and to see so many people enjoying themselves. The evening was very positive and a good glimpse at how much the Longaberger Legacy lives on to this day.
