ACE continues to be the amusement industry leader in fan organizations, from charity work to preservation.

Orlando, FL (November 14, 2022) – American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), the world’s largest ride enthusiast group, is proud to have brought members and their guests together for over 77 events this year and donated almost $70,000 to support the industry. With a mission to preserve, promote and enjoy roller coasters, ACE sees 2022 as a year to celebrate its successes.

“This has truly been a year to celebrate, as ACE came back together with a full slate of events across the country while continuing to incorporate the innovations that arose from the pandemic,” said ACE President Elizabeth Ringas. “As an all-volunteer organization, these achievements leave me in awe of the dedication of our membership to our mission.”

Achievements of 2022:

• Hosted 77 events
• Donated $57,500 to the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA)
• Donated $10,000 to preservation efforts (Lakemont Park)
• Provided riders to parks for marketing photo assistance
• Increased membership to 6,800 members worldwide
• Partnered with Adventure Lab for in-park scavenger hunts
• Held the World’s Largest Ride during World Roller Coaster Appreciation Month

As a 501(c)(3), ACE’s mission includes charitable and educational initiatives. This year offered us many opportunities to provide speakers to educational groups and display our historical photography at libraries. We are thankful to Lakemont Park and Alabama Adventure for sharing the history display with their park visitors.

Our new partnership with Adventure Lab, a subsidiary of Geocaching, allows us to offer additional fun for parkgoers. The app-based scavenger hunt provides parkgoers an activity their entire group can participate in while exposing them to significant and historical attributes of the park.

Fundraising for ACE’s Preservation and Archives funds and the NRCMA continued this year by orchestrating auctions of donated items during ACE events and offering the opportunity to donate through our website. In addition to ACE’s contributions to the NRCMA, Robert Ulrich, our immediate past president, continues to serve on the board.

Ensuring ACE is a welcoming place for all, regardless of age, gender, race or sexual orientation, we continued to expand our focus on a safe space initiative with the launch of a member-exclusive Discord server. Our members have found fun, friendships and support on the server, which is moderated by a team of volunteers to ensure it remains a place filled with respectful conversation.

During World Roller Coaster Appreciation Month, ACE, along with parks across the country, including Fun Spot America theme parks, Lake Compounce, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Knoebels Amusement Resort and Lakemont Park, participated in the World’s Largest Ride. The ride celebrates engineering, architecture, history, entertainment and marvels of roller coasters that were catapulted into our lives on June 16, 1884, with the opening of LaMarcus Thompson’s Switchback Railway at Coney Island.

In September, our new Executive Committee took office with Elizabeth Ringas, as president. 2022’s success will offer them a strong foundation to lead our organization to a stronger 2023.

About ACE:

About ACE: Founded in 1978, American Coaster Enthusiasts is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, appreciation and safe enjoyment of roller coasters. With 6,800 members worldwide, ACE is the largest and longest-running ride enthusiast organization in the world. Members of ACE receive exclusive park benefits, newsletters, magazines and the opportunity to attend national, local and even international tours at parks. ACE hosts more than 75 national and regional coaster events across North America every year and has been prominently featured on various news programs and many cable networks such as the Travel Channel.

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