Posted: 8/20/2011 3:47:13 PM
By: Mike Stulir
At the risk of offending my long-term friend who did not want to make a big deal about this, I would like to announce that today is an important day. On this day (August 20th) 30 years ago, Gary Vincent had his first day of employment at the Funspot Family Entertainment Center in Weirs Beach, NH. Over the last 30 years, he has made countless contributions to the arcade gaming industry and the gaming community.
Of primary interest to the people here at Aurcade, Gary is the founder and current President of The American Classic Arcade Museum @ Funspot in Weirs Beach, NH. Founded in 1998 and incorporated in 2002, The American Classic Arcade Museum (ACAM) is the first 501c3 non-profit organization & museum facility dedicated to the preservation of classic coin-operated amusements. Under Gary’s supervision, ACAM had acquired & restored hundreds of classic videogames that are on display for all to play within the ACAM facility. Approximately 300 classic arcade games and pinball currently machines occupy the 8,000 square foot museum facility that is that is open to the public 364 days per year. Another 150+ games are in storage awaiting restoration.
Gary oversees the largest arcade in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, and runs the largest & best annual classic gaming tournament. The Funspot Family Entertainment Center has a history of videogame & pinball tournaments dating back to the mid-1970’s. Gary has been involved in running these events throughout his tenure. He also oversees ACAM’s fundraising activities and runs a weekly charitable Bingo game that is crucial to funding ACAM’s restoration & operational activities. This weekly Bingo game requires 8 hours of effort from Gary’s personal time each week, and is crucial to keeping ACAM funded in a down economy where donations & sponsorships are few and far in-between.
Gary & the ACAM facility were recently showcased in an article in Edge Magazine (August, 2011). Due to the work of Gary and the volunteer staff, ACAM was named one of the “33 shrines every sports fan should visit” by ESPN: The Magazine in 2010. ACAM has been repeatedly singled out as the “Mecca” of arcade gaming by almost a dozen news outlets & gaming media such as MSNBC, Yahoo! and Joystiq. To get repeated recognition by these respected media outlets is a testament to the work that Gary has done, and to the reputation he has built.
Gary, on behalf of the ACAM Board of Directors and the volunteers who assist you with your restoration efforts, I would like to thank you for your contributions over the last 30 years.
Mike Stulir
Board of Directors
The American Classic Arcade Museum
http://www.classicarcademusem.org