Tourism Cares for America Event Virginia City, Nevada - May 17 - 19, 2007 Nearly 300 travel industry professionals stepped back in time and experienced the spirit of the Old West and felt the satisfaction of "giving back" as they pumped new life into the former Comstock Lode silver mining city's historic sites. In the 1800s, Virginia City was "the richest place on earth" where townspeople feasted on oysters and champagne and attended shows at opera houses where the likes of John Barrymore and Harry Houdini enthralled audiences. Today the town's restoration and upkeep are the responsibility of fewer than 1,100 citizens. Travel industry professionals stepped up to the plate repainting and reviving landmarks such as Piper's Opera House and St. Mary's in the Mountains Catholic Church, accumulating 2,400 hours of labor. Hot, hot, hot! My job was to clean up one of the old cemeteries; with temperatures approaching 100 degrees, I made sure to use sun block. I didn't apply it evenly on my face, though, and was left with two red lines running down both sides of my face! After that I was called 'Mr. Burns' since it looked like I was sporting red sideburns. Christopher Cahill - Information Technology Reality TV has nothing on Tourism Cares I felt like I was involved in an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"--people from all over the U.S. coming together for a greater cause. April Vallier - Accounting Cast of Characters I felt like I'd stepped back in time. Boardwalks lined the streets with old-fashioned saloons and casinos; and people strolled around dressed in period clothing, greeting tourists. They were not paid actors; it was just something they liked to do. Carol Palmer - Marketing NOLA Next I stayed in St. Mary's - which was rumored to be haunted, though I never came across a ghost. We had such a great time there; it was hot, it was hard work… and it was worth every minute! I can't wait for the next Tourism Cares event in New Orleans. Jenna Marcoccio - Marketing