Chamber Newsletter - May 2019
Volume 24 - Issue 5
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Chamber Chat with Amanda
Dear Chamber Members,
Summer is almost here! The ATV trails are now open. We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls and emails at our office from people planning trips to our area. We are expecting a great tourist season! There are many different events happening around the area this summer. We wanted to make you aware of a large event taking place in July.
The 2019 Foundation Quarter Horse Registry (FQHR) World Round-Up will be taking place July 19-21
st
at the Jackson County Fair Park in Black River Falls. It is also their 25
th
Anniversary year!
With no-bling authentic ranch work classes, the annual FQHR World Round-Up offers a full three day weekend of horsemanship, sportsmanship, cowboy and family fun, for men, women, and children of all ages.
FQHR promotes Foundation bred Quarter Horses exhibiting in “contest friendly” events and classes that preserve and perpetuate the breed. Their membership continues to grow and now exceeds 13,470, and encompasses all fifty states and nine foreign countries with over 28,069 horses currently registered.
People travel from all around the United States and Canada to participate in the World Round-Up, and this year will be no exception. They are expecting around 800 entries plus many spectators at the event.
This event is taking place the same weekend as the Karner Blue Races and Karner Blue Butterfly Festival. We expect it to be very busy around the area! We wanted to let local businesses know about the event so that you can be prepared for an influx of people – especially restaurants, retail stores and gas stations. We’ve been told to expect people to arrive in town as early as Wednesday, July 17
th
and many will stay in the area until Tuesday, July 23
rd
.
We will be taking visitor guides, local calendar of events and other information to the fairgrounds for FQHR attendees to pick up. If your business has any events happening that weekend, please let us know and we will put them on our calendar of events.
If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the Chamber. Together we build business, create community and promote tourism.
Sincerely,
Amanda Gunn
Executive Director
Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
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Plans are underway for the 15th Annual Karner Blue 5K-10K-Half Marathon races that are scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2019. This year promises to be another great event! The half marathon starts at 7:00 a.m., the 5K and 10K start at 8:00 a.m. and the kid's race starts at 9:00 a.m. The awards ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. near the finish line. All races will start and end at the Chamber of Commerce office.
Medals will be awarded to the top 3 male and female finishers in each age category. Trophies will be presented to the overall male and female winner of each race. Categories: Male & Female for 5K & 10K - 12 & Under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+. Male & Female for Half Marathon - 19 & Under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+. Finisher medals will be given to Half Marathoners only. Kid's Race - 10 & Under (participation dog tags)
Registration forms for the 15th Annual Karner Blue 5K-10K-Half-Marathon will be available to download and print on our website under the community tab. You also have the option to register online.
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2019 Entertainment in the Park
Summer entertainment begins June 4th at the Lunda Park Bandshell!
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The 2019 Black River Area Menu Guides are now available! If you would like some for your business or lodging facility, stop in our office and pick them up or give us a call and we can drop them off for you!
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Events to Share
Please send us information on any upcoming events your business or organization is hosting. We will get them posted to the calendar on our website and in the printed calendar we distribute at our office. We also share many different events on our Facebook page!
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Brochures, Rack Cards and Business Cards
Make sure to drop off a supply of your brochures, rack cards and business cards at the Chamber office. Help us help your business by passing along information to both our out-of-town visitors and to local residents who come to the Chamber. If you can't make it to the office, give us a call and we will gladly pick them up at your business!
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Goody Bag Items Needed
Throughout the year, we put together goody bags for our Karner Blue race, new teachers, hockey tournaments and other events. We are asking businesses to donate goody bag items. If you have items such as pens, magnets, key chains, coupons, etc that you would like to donate, give us a call. It is a great opportunity to advertise and promote your business!
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Community Health Needs Assessment Survey
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Black River Memorial Hospital is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment this year. They are gathering county input on what your impression is on the health care available in Jackson County. The first 500 who take the survey will receive a $10 gas card.
There is an option at the end of the survey to select either, “send me the gas card” or “please donate the gas card to charity.” The donated cards will be distributed to organizations such as Jackson County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers.
The survey takes about 15 minutes and your input is very much appreciated. Please share this with staff members or co-workers at your organizations.
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May Business After 5
Thank you to Black Creek Lodge for hosting the May Business After 5 event on Wednesday, May 8th! Even though it was cold and rainy, we had a good turnout and everyone had a wonderful time!
Black Creek Lodge has so much to offer - food, drinks, cabins, campgrounds, a swimming pond, event shed, meeting space, a retreat center, ATV and snowmobile trail access and you can feed deer! For more information, visit their website at
www.blackcreekretreat.com.
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Members were treated to the all you can eat wing buffet. The food was delicious!
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Door prizes included dinner for two, a Make It Happen planner and a seasonal swim pass!
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Taylor Media
405 Van Buren Street
Black River Falls, WI 54615
Phone: 715-896-3132
Taylor Media produces video content for commercials, websites or for social media that can help drive business results.
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A ribbon cutting was held on Saturday, May 18th at SureStay Plus by Best Western as part of their Grand Opening Celebration. Pictured from left were Nitzie Cholka, Scott Johnson, Amanda Gunn, Rajiv Judge, Barb Hatch, Jessica Adams, Tsering Judge, Vee Price, Alex Mellor, Shayla Morawozynski, Cheryl Ledebuhr, Dilek Aktan, Cody Greyowl and Lindsey Pressnall.
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Career & Community-Wide Job Fair Wrap Up
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On April 9, the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Workforce Development and the Black River Falls High School held a Career Fair for students and Community-Wide Job Fair for the public.
Over 500 students attended the Career Fair portion. Students enjoyed interacting with businesses and learning about different career and continuing education opportunities.
There were 30 job seekers who attended the Job Fair portion. Thank you to the all of the businesses who participated in the Career Fair and Community-Wide Job Fair.
We are looking forward to having another Career Fair and Community-Wide Job Fair next spring.
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Students visiting with businesses at the career fair
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Rotary Club of Black River Falls April Youth Rotars
Jeremiah Rumsey and Kianna Heller were the April Youth Rotars for the Rotary Club of Black River Falls. Both are seniors at the Black River Falls High School. Youth Rotars are selected by their school and Rotary as representatives of “good citizens” in both their school and their community. Youth Rotars spend one month attending the Rotary Club’s meetings and give reports on school events. At their last meeting, they are presented with the Black River Falls Rotary Club’s flag. The Youth Rotar Program runs from September through May with two representatives each month, except the month of December.
Jeremiah is the son of Brad and Kathleen Rumsey. He has one sister. Jeremiah is a member of the Tiger Investment Club, FCCLA, FBLA, Band, the Musical and he plays golf and soccer. He currently works as a lifeguard and student technician. Outside of school and work he enjoys golfing and spending time with family and friends. Jeremiah plans on attending UW Eau Claire as an Economics major and pursue a degree in Pre Law. When asked about his time as a Youth Rotar, Jeremiah said, “I learned that just because you are extremely busy, it doesn’t mean you can’t afford some time to give back to the community.”
Kianna is the daughter of Jeff Millis and Stephanie Heller. She has one sister, three dogs, two horses and a cat. In school, Kianna is involved in Volleyball, Dance Team, GM97, Student Senate, Teens Against Tobacco Use, Teens Against Bullying Others, FCCLA, Pep Club, National Honor Society, Interact and Figure Skating. She recently finished working as a coach for the Black River Falls Figure Skating Club. In her free time she enjoys riding her horses and competing in local shows, being active and working out, cooking, reading and listening to music. After graduation, Kianna plans on attending UW-Stevens Point to major in Dietetics and minor in Business Administration and Communications. She would like to become a Registered Dietitian at a hospital and eventually start her own business. When asked about her time as a Youth Rotar, Kianna said, “Attending the weekly meetings has taught me a lot about hard work and dedication. It has been great meeting local business owners and leaders and hearing about how they got started and what their future plans are. It has been great learning about our community and the people behind it.”
The Rotary Club of Black River Falls is part of an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people all over the world. Its purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards and to advance goodwill and peace throughout the world. The Club meets every Monday at noon at the Skyline Golf Course. For more information visit
www.brfrotary.org
or find the club on Facebook.
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Pictured from left are Kianna Heller, Rotary Club Secretary Max Michaleson and Jeremiah Rumsey.
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WWIS Brings Home Multiple WBA Awards
By JoDee Brooke/Banner Journal
“It was a very rewarding evening,” shared WWIS general manager Mary Gerdes. WWIS brought home multiple awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Gala event, held May 4 in Madison.
Black River Falls’ WWIS brought home multiple awards, including first place awards for its Brauner’s Garage and Storage “Toe” Assistance commercial in the Best Humorous Commercial category, “Lurking in the Shadows: A Story of Bigfoot” in Best Specialty Programming, Owners Presentation at 60th Anniversary Celebration in Best use of Live Streaming - Social Media and 60 Years on the Air for Best Promotional Announcement.
“To be recognized by the WBA with these awards means so much to us, especially being a very small community station,” shared Gerdes. “The entries are judged by our peers in other states, so it is fair to everyone that enters. The WWIS Radio staff wear many hats, as we don’t have official ‘departments’ that we work. That being said, these awards carry a bit more meaning for us.”
WWIS also received second-place awards for its Veteran’s Chat November 2018 for Best Significant Community Impact, Can Do Canines for Best Feature and Buyline November 24th for Best Morning Radio Show.
The WWIS crew also received third-place awards for its WWIS 60th History for Best Promotional; Announcement and Black River Country Bank Tailgate Party for Best Commercial or Underwriter Announcement.
The WBA Award for Excellence is sponsored annually to recognize outstanding achievement in Wisconsin radio and television broadcaster. The competition was established to encourage the highest standards of reporting, community service and production creativity, which is then recognized by peers in the broadcast industry.
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WWIS General Manager Mary Gerdes accepted one of several awards the radio station received at the Wisconsin Broadcaster's Association Gala. The award, presented by WBA Board Director Steve Wexler, was for WWIS' commercial for Brauner's Garage and Storage in the Best Humorous Commercial Category.
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WWIS' Dick Deno accepted the award for "Lurking in the Shadows: A Story of Bigfoot" in the Best Specialty Programming category.
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Jackson County Dairy Breakfast
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Jackson County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers 22nd Annual Golf Fundraiser
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The 22nd Annual Golf FUNdraiser will be taking place on Friday, June 14th at Skyline Golf Course. Register your team today!
Interfaith is raffling off 4 - 3 day passes to Country Jam! Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Chris Kroeze, Sara Evans, Sawyer Brown and many more!
Stop at Interfaith or Black River Area Chamber of Commerce to get your lucky tickets! Tickets are $10 each or 3/$20.
Winners will be announced at the Golf Outing on June 14th, 2019. All proceeds benefit Interfaith Volunteers, right here in Jackson County!
1st Place = $600 Value Country Jam Tickets, sponsored by Millis Transfer
2nd place = $100
3rd place = $50
Good luck everyone and thank you for supporting Interfaith!
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2019 Coulee Region Job Fair
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7 Rivers Alliance Updates
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Inspire Program
The Inspire 7 Rivers team has taken initiative to grow its network of employers and students. Inspire is a way to link together education and industry to help students and job seekers achieve their goals and address communities’ workforce development needs. Inspire 7 Rivers is launched in school districts within Black River Falls, Holmen, Tomah, Hillsboro and Blair-Taylor, and over the next three years, the program will expand to include school districts throughout the entire 7 Rivers Region.
The Inspire program is now up to over 100 employers and 80 coaches that collaborate with over 1,000 active students in the area.
Our team continues to communicate about the benefits of the program to local organizations. We are currently working on creating a more effective, user friendly registration process for employers to join. If you or any employer is interested in learning more please email Jeff at
[email protected]
.
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WisConnect is your source for Wisconsin internships!
Employers can recruit interns on WisConnect to enhance their skilled talent pipeline. Create an employer profile, post internships, search for Wisconsin college students and find resources to build or expand internship programs. It's easy to get started.
Create a free WisConnect account
to start your search for interns today. Once registered, you can build your employer profile to showcase and attract interns, post internships and search for qualified interns who meet your talent needs.
College students are joining WisConnect daily. Visit the site frequently to make new talent connections.
Students can seek internships to gain valuable job skills and launch their career. Create a professional profile, upload your resume, and search for internships with Wisconsin employers. Create a free WisConnect account to start your internship search today. Once registered, students can search for internships, explore Wisconsin businesses that offer internships and identify opportunities to gain valuable job skills. New internship postings are added frequently. Visit WisConnect often to find new opportunities.
For more information visit the link below!
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Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation News
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Economic Development Programs
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) offers programs and resources that spur economic prosperity in Wisconsin! Funding, resources and training help companies that do business in Wisconsin maximize their potential. Discover the support WEDC and Wisconsin’s statewide economic development network offer businesses and communities!
Click here to learn more.
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Made in Wisconsin
High-Quality Products from Hard-Working People
When something is produced in Wisconsin, it is a point of pride for those who had a hand in its creation. WEDC created a cost-free logo for businesses to use to proclaim their products' Wisconsin origin. The Made In Wisconsin logo can be adapted to reflect a company's production process.
Join the hundreds of companies who are already participating in the Made In Wisconsin program by filling out an application
here
!
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USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant
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USDA Rural Development is now accepting applications for the 2019 Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program!
The primary objective of this program is to improve the economic condition of rural areas through cooperative development. The maximum award amount per grant is $200,000. Grants are available for non-profit corporations or higher education institutions only. Grant funds may be used to pay for up to 75% of the cost of establishing and operating centers for rural cooperative development.
Applications are due as follows:
- Paper applications are due to the Rural Development State Office, 5417 Clem’s Way, Stevens Point, WI 54482, by 4:30pm CST on June 7, 2019.
- Electronic applications must be received through www.grants.gov no later than midnight Eastern Time on June 3, 2019.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Kristin Peterson, Business & Cooperative Programs Specialist, at 715-345-7640.
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2019 Business After 5 Calendar
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June 12: Lunda Community Center
July: No Business After 5 in July
August 14:
WWIS Radio
September 11: Dale's Refrigeration & Heating
October 9: Co-op Credit Union
November 13: Revolution Coffee House & Wine Bar
December 4: Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
We have
two
openings for Business After 5 in 2020. Give us a call today to reserve your spot!
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2019 Chamber Board of Directors
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President -
Robert Crampes, Land O'Lakes
Vice President -
Dave Meyer, WWIS Radio
Treasurer -
Matt Streeter, Black River Memorial Hospital
Secretary -
Justin Dougherty, Dynamic Audio & Video LLC
Board Members
Karman Briggs, Western Dairyland
Keith Brown, Farm Urban Realty
Kristin Franks, Edward Jones
Grady Gutknecht, Jackson County Board Rep
Sue Miller, Co-op Credit Union
Melissa Porter, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Black River Falls
Scott Johnson, Aptiv
Tamra Soto, Comfort Inn & Suites
Carrie Timp, Revolution BRF
Wendy Trautsch, Pine View Terrace
Joe Williams, Theisen's Home-Farm-Auto
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From left: Lynette LeGarde, Samantha Windsor, Kathy Kopp and Amanda Gunn
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Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
120 N Water St
Black River Falls, WI 54615
715-284-4658
www.blackrivercountry.net
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