Many thanks to all who attended the 2012 Florida Panhandle Lighthouse Challenge on April 21 and 22!

About 300 lighthouse enthusiasts from all over the United States braved windy and rainy conditions to visit the five Challenge lighthouses: St. Marks, Crooked River, Cape St. George, Cape San Blas, and Pensacola Lighthouse.  At each lighthouse visited, participants received a unique lenticular bookmark featuring two alternating images of that lighthouse.  Those who met the Challenge by visiting all five lighthouses received a special Lighthouse Challenge completion button and a certificate of completion from the Florida Lighthouse Association.

After soaking rains on Saturday, Sunday was dry but windy and cold.  Chief Meteorologist Chris Smith of WJHG-TV in Panama City visited most of the lighthouses with his wife Mauri, and provided great television coverage on both the Saturday and Sunday newscasts.

Thank you to our volunteers, to those who donated raffle prizes, to non-profits and other individuals who participated at the individual lighthouses by selling food or merchandise, to press representatives who provided media coverage both before and after the event, and to all of those who participated in the Challenge and helped to make it a success.

A special thank you to our primary sponsors: the Franklin County Tourist Development Council, the Gulf County Tourist Development Council, the Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Florida Lighthouse Association.  We are particulary grateful to our Lodging Sponsors, who helped house our out-of-town visitors.  We are leaving the list of sponsors on the Challenge website, and hope that if your travels bring you once again to the Florida Panhandle, you will patronize our sponsors for your lodging needs.