The following is the 2021 July 3rd's post party reflection. This reflection was originally shared in the party Facebook group, but is being posted here to be housed forever and for all to enjoy. It takes a look at the 2021 event, and reflects on the decade long party as a whole.
To the Great People of The Third,
I write to you today, 19 days since we came together, to attempt to put into words a reflection of the greatest gathering of humans this world has ever known; The Third.
Before we reflect upon The Third as a whole, we must first take a look at the 2021 event, as it was packed with glory. In the weeks following the event the whispers have flown, with many calling this the greatest Third to date. While we didn’t have the highest attendance numbers, we had the right patrons in attendance. 50+ high energy individuals, giving The Third their all, one last time.
The day started with an incredible yoga session, where we not only got some fun and creative partner poses, but also ended with a “God Bless The USA” accompanied savasana. There simply could not have been a better way to start the day. Thank you Roxanne Hamilton for your incredible guidance and contribution to The Third.
Pre-beer Yoga.
Post yoga, right on time as always, at 11:11am, head of beer flow engineering and analytics Ry Lau had the cold beer flowing, as he did for the rest of the day. With the welcomed addition of seltzers to the 2021 event, we ended up not even tapping the 5th and final keg. While in the moment it was a bit of a disappointment, I’m happy to report that many July 3rd veterans were able to enjoy this beer the following weekend at a birthday gathering. The Natty did not go to waste. The Third does not believe in waste.
The Head of Beer Flow Engineering and Analytics Himself.
This year’s opening ceremony had it’s handful of firsts and will be forever recognized as one of the great presentations of The Third. We had our first usage of a vehicle down the hill for the pre anthem opening song, fully adorned with an American Flag yielding Master Chief. It was a beautiful sight to behold while Knights of Cydonia blared in our ears. But even that couldn’t compare to our next “First,” which came soon after. Party veteran, and multi year best dressed winner Sean Giambruno lit up the crowd with The Third’s first ever pregnancy announcement. It was simply a legendary move, which we would expect nothing less from Sean. Congratulations to 2019 Flip Cup Champion Miah Giambruno on this historic announcement. I know that child will do great things with their future flip cup career.
Flag Bearing Master Chief.
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| The 2019 Flip Cup Champ Miah Giambruno. |
Speaking of Sean, party forefather Ben Spaniol and I had decided some weeks back to include an announcement near the end of this year’s gathering. But, as often happens at The Third, as the day went on and the madness ensued, it kinda just didn’t happen. I’d like to make it official here though, that we have created a July 3rd Hall Of Fame. And that Hall Of Fame has one induction: Sean Giambruno. For 10 years Sean has given his all to The Third, and has played a large roll in shaping The Third into the legendary gathering that it is. Congrats Sean, you’re in the July 3rd Hall Of Fame.
2018 Best Dressed, Sean Giambruno.
Post baby announcement the anthem was shredded once again by lead guitarist and head of music equipment Alex Maiers. And Thunderstuck was totally freakin awesome. I will forever miss circling up with 50 friends to slug Nattys to rock music turned up to 11.
AHC Nate willing John along as he chugs during Thunderstruck.
2021’s lunch was unanimously voted as our top offering to date. We took it a step up from our cheap ¼ lb burgers to some of Costco's finest ⅓ lb hunks of meat. Assistant Head Chef brought his best as we gathered around the Evo grill provided by head of food preparation equipment Jake Bastien, and we fell into a nice rhythm of flipping burgers, dogs, and toasting buns. If you thought the AHC was in an off season lull, you’re dead wrong. That man was in mid season form. The energy and dedication brought by Nate each and every Third had him as an honorable mention for the July 3rd Hall of Fame.
Finding our rhythm on the grill.
The real fireworks started after lunch when the tables were lined up, and the 2021 Elimination Flip Cup Tournament commenced. In another “First” for The Third, after many rounds of close combat, jubilation and heartbreak alike, the final three came down to myself, Jake, and Kelli. Never before have we seen multiple hosts in the final 3, never before have siblings faced off to the end, and never before had a host taken the crown. Over the next 3 rounds to determine a champion, we went to 2 video reviews, and eventually, in the end, after 729 days of practice, I emerged as the champion. The pent up frustration from gut wrenching losses in years past all came out in perhaps our longest post victory celebration to date. I thank you for all the beer showers, and I’m happy to report my shirt is still in the tree, where it shall be for all of eternity. Just like my name on the trophy.
Jubilee.
The slip n flip went with a 9 team bracket, and with the megaphone command of Assistant Head Chef the tournament once again ran like a well oiled machine. We saw a massive upset this year, as Jake’s team was upset by newcomers “Daddy Fleck”. Congrats to Sean, Cora, Colleen, and Magnolia on their historic win. Gary’s Cheese Toast on me the next time you’re in St. Joe.
After slip n flip the pizza came, we took one last group photo, Kelli and friends played more flip cup, and then we started to do what we’re doing right now; reflecting on The Third as a whole.
At some point each year, everyone attends great gatherings with their friends. You might play some games, you might laugh your ass off, and make some memories. But there was something different about The Third that made it stand apart from any other party. What started in 2011 as a fun day on the lake leading up to a church festival, ended up growing into a phenomenon none could have predicted.
It was the very features that some would call over the top that made The Third so unique. Things like having an opening ceremony shredded by an elite guitarist. (Alex, The Third thanks you for your years of dedication and shreds.) Things like me getting more text messages on the morning of The Third than I do on my birthday, from past attendees and adoring fans, sending their best to the day. Or things like gathering around 7 tables for a world renowned flip cup tournament to determine who gets their name engraved on a trophy forever. Things like pre party yoga, outrageous job titles, multiple food offerings, and sliding down a muddy hill. Things like patriotic outfits and awards to go along with them. Things like having photographers come to capture the intimate moments of the day. Or things like pre party hype posts, and post party reflections. It is these very obscenities that solidify The Third as the greatest gathering on earth. It is these obscenities that will make sure The Third lives on through stories for decades. It’s these obscenities that made The Third matter to so many.
A special thanks to our parents, aka The Management, for each year allowing 50+ people onto their lawn to partake in an outrageous array of events. Very few would ever allow such a thing, and we are forever grateful for you and your hospitality. I hope the patrons of The Third had their chance to express their gratitude to you at some point during the day.
The Folks Who Started It All.
In the end, I’m proud of what we built. From the first July 3rd lake day in 2011 to the massive organized event of 2021. I’m proud of all the patrons who came over the years to give their all to The Third. It was incredible to see the party span across the friend groups of all 5 Spaniol kids, with Kelli’s friends bringing tremendous energy this year.
Will she continue the legacy? It appears the answer is no, that The Third has ended. We went out on top, and rode off into the sunset. We’ve given The Third the ending that The Third deserves.
If Bo Burnham is healing the world with comedy, The Third has always been healing the world with partying. The indescribable power of our partying. We’ve made a literal difference, metaphorically. Together, we built something that will be remembered forever. Together, we built The Third.
The 2021 crew.
It has been my honor and privilege to hold the megaphone and share The Third with you. I thank each of you for your service and dedication to The Third, and I love you all. For one last time, signing off.
-Head Chef
#becauseitsthethird
