Welcome, everyone, to Midday Magazine for this May 14, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Mailoff here.
At 330, we're going to welcome in David Fombrel with Let's Talk Real Estate with David Fombrel
and our friends at Coa Banker see it realtor's.
Right now, we got a good friend, Lacey Ailingen with us, events and engagement director
with our heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, and Lacey, you brought a friend we have
Carrie Ruffner with us of the Leadership Class.
Good morning, you two, or good afternoon, I should say.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
Thanks so much for being here.
We appreciate the time, Carrie.
We will put you on this.
I mean, to ask you questions in a moment, but Lacey, I want to start with you about some
of the upcoming events going on over there with your Chamber.
Absolutely.
So we'll kick it off with you drinking my local.
It's happening right now and on Sunday.
So it's a two week campaign to kind of support these local businesses, get out, shop with
your family.
Definitely a fun thing to do on Mother's Day last weekend.
But reach out.
If you need a bingo sheet, they're also at all the participating businesses.
And then when you finish, turn it in.
You get some free spots at the heart of Wisconsin, as well as going in for raffle baskets.
This is a fun one when we got a lot of great local businesses on that bingo card.
So that's going to be a lot of fun for people to play along and keep up with.
It's one of those things, too, that every year, it's hard to say, well, you guys got so
many great signature events.
So well, this one stands out above this one.
But this is another one of those ones that really stands out.
People enjoy it.
Yes, they loved it.
A lot of people, even from bigger cities, like to come here and participate in these,
especially supporting those local businesses, everything is handmade.
You kind of get that you get the quality that you don't get with some of those big store
chains.
So it's really, really fun.
A lot of wonderful businesses.
And then as well, don't forget there's a lot, there's games on this one.
So you can, there's obviously visit three in a day.
One does lunch by the river start, which I'll give a free one, May 30th, as well as you
would.
I mean, it's fun to even, you're, you're having fun doing this and then you drop it
off, then you go in the chance to win.
And then even if you win, your name continues to go back in so you can keep winning those
raffle baskets from all the businesses that are on the binko sheet.
And one of the things that I think we hear all of us hear from everyone's in a while,
oh, I didn't know that was in town.
Oh, I didn't even know that place that this is an opportunity maybe to come across some
of those businesses that you may have not heard of before and find a new love, a new favorite
business or a new place to go.
Yes, absolutely.
And it's not just bars.
So you can, I mean, you can start out at LKFA, get breakfast.
You can go, we have, oh, my God, processing, which they have, you know, meat things, stuff
like that in pit spills.
You can kind of hop around to all the different little, you know, little communities, get lunch,
get dinner, you can get a shake.
It's really fun.
I mean, as well as going shopping, supporting those businesses that definitely put back
into our community.
And Lacy, when it comes to filling out the bingo card, how long do people have and what
should they do once it's filled out?
Yes.
So as soon as they have, well, they can pick it up at any one of the businesses that are
on here and then drop it off of the chamber.
Obviously, make sure that you get your free spots, ask your questions when you drop that
off.
And then we're going to do the drawing on May 24th on Facebook Live.
Lacy, one, now definitely a signature event of the chamber and really of Wisconsin Rapids
and one of the things we look forward to every year is lunch by the river.
This is one of those events.
Honestly, I feel like you guys could just put up a sign, a chamber sign saying lunch
by the river.
People show up.
Like we love this.
Not only a beautiful area, beautiful spot, but it's become such a tradition in this area
that, hey, summer, you're not eating lunch inside, you may not even bring a lunch, you're
going to get lunch.
Yes.
Absolutely.
I mean, it's really, really fun.
It's the 37th year, I believe.
And then our exclusive presenting sponsor, Embridge, and then our summer septic sponsor,
which I just love saying that.
Yes.
Crockets septic.
So definitely come out.
May 30th is our first one.
U.S. Bank is that sponsor and then we'll have Bob Allen for our entertainment, as well
as some activities that I have booked and then some outdoor games.
And then we have Rocky Rococo's chatterbox, MCG services, Jamaican kitchens, and Granny's
Beach and Ice.
So far for food vendors.
We did get additional spots.
So we will be able to feature more vendors this time, have a little bit more diverse options.
So definitely come out.
I'm excited.
Very, very excited for all the activities that I have planned for this lunch by the river
season.
So definitely come out.
We have the balloon stuff that we're going to be doing, some face painting.
We're going to have a kid's day this year.
So I'm very excited about the new additions this year.
You, there is, I have a little bit of a spoiled spot here where I get to see a lot more
of our guests than maybe our listeners do always.
And I know hard lacy works at every one of these events.
This one in particular, you've been putting a lot of, a lot into it.
It really looks great.
I got to tell you, you've done an amazing job with this event.
And it's interesting because I started the way I did for a reason.
I think if you kept doing the same thing that was done by your predecessors or anything
like that, nobody had any complaints.
I mean, that's really great work.
The above and beyond that you try to do with so many of these events, it's noteworthy.
Thank you.
And doing a great job.
I'm working very, very hard to try to get, obviously, those, definitely, those staples
here, but as well as adding to it.
So I will try to elevate any event, leave it better than I found it.
That's just kind of my, my life motto.
So definitely excited about having different kinds of food vendors, different kinds of activities.
I think when you have children and you're in public, you need to be able to cover, they're
going to be bored in a half an hour.
So if you were going to come out from 1130 to one, have things that can kind of block
off and then they can do different things, have different, they can kind of go move around
and then definitely reach all the booths and see all the sponsors.
It's another, just similar to what we were saying with the previous event.
This is another opportunity.
Maybe you haven't tried some of these restaurants or some of these businesses before.
It's an opportunity for that.
Get outside, have a great lunch, and the atmosphere is perfect.
It's a beautiful view.
You can't go wrong with that.
I do want to note to people out there.
Go ahead and make sure to bookmark the web page, Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.com, Wisconsin
Rapids Chamber.com.
We'll talk more about the website in a moment.
We look at these events, especially once it's stand out to you, click on the event under
there as events page and there is a set of reminder note and I think that's really cool.
I cannot be the only person that has an insane schedule that cannot keep track of anything.
I don't even know when my birthday is anymore.
That's how busy I am.
You need reminders.
You need reminders sometimes in life and this is kind of a nice little feature that I noticed
on the website.
I think that's really cool.
Very, very excited.
Yeah.
We're looking forward to lunch by the river coming up and we'll be there.
We'll see you guys there at one of the lunch by the rivers looking forward to that.
Gather by the gazebo, very similar to lunch by the river and some of these other events
we're about to talk about really, really fun events that we're happy to have back this
summer.
Absolutely.
So that one is going to be in Rome.
So very excited to be able to have these community events in different areas so that people
can access them if it's a little bit harder to come out to lunch by the river during the
day.
This is this one in the evening.
So 5.30 to 7 o'clock and that's it.
It's going to be in Rome, presenting sponsors, visit Rome, season sponsors, cold well banker,
advantage, sand valley, resort and Rome away from home.
And then our first one is going to be June 11th.
So that's going to be on the second Tuesday of every month from 5.30 to 7 o'clock.
We will have one exclusive food vendor.
That's going to be beach bum, which I'm very excited about having.
She's actually from Hawaii.
So she does a lot of like a side berry bowls, smoothie bowls, a lot of like shakes, healthier
things, as well as shaved ice.
But her being from Hawaii, I think it's going to have, it has a little bit different, a
little different like flare to it, as well as she's really trying to be healthier.
So I think when it's summer and it's hot out, sometimes we don't want to eat hot food,
at least me.
So I'm very excited to have her as an addition this year.
I kind of tracked her down at the Rome farmers market last year and kept telling her that
I wanted her until finally she was like, okay, I will do the chamber events.
So I'm very, very excited for that, as well as we're going to have wonderful entertainment
that is going to be super, super fun this summer.
Our first one is going to be duology, so love, Ben, I'm very excited for that, as well
as I'm trying to have some additional activities out there, some more outdoor games, and then
even I'm working with Creepers Car Club to have a little car show out there too.
And I have put some emails together to some other communities to try to get some animals
in.
I'm really hoping that one of the human societies can come out and bring some pets.
So definitely, definitely hopeful that we can have this be a bigger, attended event,
as well as kind of, I mean, the Rome area is just blowing up.
They have wonderful businesses there.
I've been reaching out to them and trying to get just some more partnerships as well as
obviously San Valley out there.
They have a new restaurant opening, a new Italian restaurant, and then they have a new
course opening this summer.
So a lot of fun things out in the Rome area.
Yeah, that area is only getting better and bigger, and it's great to be able to support
events over there and get over there.
Just get over there, check out what some of Lacey and I are talking about.
Ron Davy in the park coming up, journalistically, I always like to mention that I am very
biased about this particular park.
I love it.
It's probably my favorite park in the whole state.
I love the setup.
I love that you can see everything, and there's different options.
So you can obviously have, you know, there's food spots and you can kind of separate
things, which I really like down there, as well as the city of Nacusa is the season sponsor.
Really, really grateful towards them, and I'm hopeful that I can drop by and go visit
good fellows and promote some more things that I want to do.
Very, very excited.
The June sponsor is going to be Nacusa Lions Club, and then the VFW post 2534, so Buckley
Baldwin, love Sean over there, and they are going to do food during June.
So very excited.
I'm trying to work with some businesses in Nacusa to kind of feature them.
I really want everyone to come out, get involved.
So you're going to see a lot of flyers.
I'm going to be putting them everywhere because I really, really want people to come out,
have fun, bring their family, bring a blanket, just have fun.
It's a free event.
Please come and attend it because if we're not attending them, it's going to be harder
to keep pushing that we can do them.
Yeah.
We're able to have these events because of your attendance and your support and your
awareness of these things.
So the more you attend them, the bigger and better they'll be.
And if you don't, then we have to move on.
There will be other events or there will be other things.
Absolutely.
And we want this one around.
We love this one.
Shout out to good fellows.
I was a great reference.
We can mention them.
And a shout out to the city in Nacusa realizing how great this event is in helping promote
it and be a part of it.
Absolutely.
They actually let me come in and pitch to their board.
It's really cool.
So I was really excited to get to tell them my ideas, my plan, and how I want to get
kids more involved, get the demographic, and have a safe place for the entire family
to hang out.
And then we also have duology there as well.
So really grateful to Ben for being available to play at these lovely events.
Yeah.
Cranberry Blossom Festival.
If you were asking somebody who just moved the town, hey, you know, you've been here
a year, what's the signature event this area?
I have no doubt that this is what they would say is the signature event in this area.
We love this event.
It's big.
It's fun.
And it's coming up.
Yes.
And I didn't realize.
I mean, obviously, I know that Cranberries are a huge, huge thing here.
But we are number one for Cranberry production.
So definitely very excited to have an entire weekend.
The brochures are out for that.
So please check them out.
Please, there's so many events.
I think that we have over 14 listed in that brochure.
Everything's kind of broke down by a map.
But obviously, we're going to kick it off with, you know, lunch by the river.
We've got downtown on tap on Friday, cinnamon, cinnamon or the stars, the craft and vendor
fair.
We've got the carnival, spicy ties going to be playing.
We've also got some fishing, things going on, the duck Derby.
There's so many things that are going to be, there's something for everyone.
You can literally just jump from one event to the next, very excited for the craft and
vendor fair.
Obviously, then I'll be working on.
And then as well as the parade, which very excited for a theme this year.
And I definitely want things to be, things to be fun.
So if you have ideas, if you have things that you want to see, I'm really trying to get
the marching band, trying to get different things, feature their businesses as well as dance
teams.
And I want to have fun things for everyone.
So definitely come and check them out.
I'm very, very excited for the craft event.
Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun.
And this is again coming up Thursday, June 20th.
So still got time.
If you want to be a part of the event, Lacey, can people still reach out and find out
how they can be a part of things?
Yes, the wonderful Wisconsin Rapids and City and the new mayor has been really gracious
in letting me have a whole extra block.
Nice.
And with US Bank closing down there, they're okay with me going in front of their store
since they won't be open.
So we have a whole extra block.
So I'm excited to take on additional vendors as well as Lee has been really, really gracious
at letting me use in front of his space for additional food vendors.
So very excited.
I want these things to be bigger, better.
Obviously, there's also going to be the farmers market down there on Saturday.
So a lot of different things for everybody.
It's going to be a busy one.
It's going to be a lot of very fun week and coming up June 20th.
Be sure to mark your calendars for that and find out more about Cranberry Blossom
festivals.
We get closer to it.
We're speaking with Lacey Ailing from the heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce and
Lacey brought in a carrier roughener from the leadership class.
And Lacey, I'd like to get into a little bit of the community leadership and teen
leadership class with you.
Yes.
So we are, I mean, I'm sad that we had our last session last week.
Definitely, really fun to kind of put everything together from October to May.
But we are going to have our celebration later this month.
So very, very excited to get to recognize the businesses, the participant that we felt
changed the most from day one to now, as well as getting to recognize Paul, who has been
wonderful at teaching and keeping us on track, as well as having us better understand
ourselves, this community, how to be a better leader, how to be, you know, more well-received.
And I think the relationships that we've made have just been, I mean, I've made personal
friends to where I talk to them every week and Carrie is one of them.
Carrie, if you don't mind, give us a little bit of your background where you work, your
job title.
I am the HR manager for Mariani Packing Company, the corner of Washington in 64, can make
the sweetened dried cranberries.
Yeah, shout out to you guys.
Yeah.
I think it's noteworthy because we love the wonderful guest Lacey brings on with us and
everything.
We have so many different fields that we pull from for these leadership classes and so
many different people can be benefited from the classes.
What for you going into this, where your hopes are your thoughts and what have you felt
after it?
Yeah.
So I kind of went into this thinking, networking, meeting some new people.
I'm also, I've lived in Stevens Point my whole life, so we didn't have a whole lot
of reasons to come to Rapid, so I didn't know much about the community that I live in now.
So it has really helped me not only understand the community that I live in, but I have also
developed some lifelong friends I hope.
And it also helped me grow.
So I learned that it starts with me being a leader and learning myself and how I am representing
and then how to help others then do the same thing.
So I truly think all the way around it has really helped me grow.
Kerry, you got your money's worth.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
That's really cool.
And it's a consistent theme that whenever we have our guests on Lacey and talking about
that class, it's a very similar set of words that we hear that this idea of yes, you
go in and you're going to make business connections and that's, that's business 101, everything
in business is connections and who you know and meeting people in different industries
on that.
This is a perfect avenue for that.
But the cool things to us, I think Lacey, is these relationships that get bonded
over words and continue on many years later.
I can't tell you how many times I have had a guest come in and as they're leaving, they
see somebody and they, oh, I haven't seen you in a while and everything and they know
each other from the leadership class that happens all the time.
We've got so many different people to do those kind of things.
So yes, the connections are important, but those bonds that you make are just as important
and let's be honest, the older we get, the harder it is to find friends, to make friends,
to get out there and do things, like this event is certainly noteworthy for the ways
it can impact you in your professional level, but it's not to be taken lightly either
that it can really impact your personal life too.
I would agree with that.
Is there, if we're encouraging people and businesses to be so important to be a part
of this and everything carry, what would you tell people that are kind of, whether they're
on the fence or they're thinking about doing this or not?
I would tell them definitely to jump into it because it really did change my concept
of the town that I live in too.
So yes, I created some very good friends through this and learned a little more about some
businesses around here, but I have learned just even working with Lacey, some of the things
that Wisconsin Rapids have and the different, we went to Love Inc last week and I had no
idea what Love Inc was or it was, that it was even there.
So it definitely gives you a different perspective of the community that you live in.
It's a great point and appreciate that and appreciate the time carry.
Thanks a lot for joining us.
Thank you.
Lacey, I want to make sure to get to coffee with the chamber as well.
That was something else that we wanted to talk about.
Yes, so very excited for this one since we changed it to quarterly.
We're trying to make sure that we're more impactful about what we choose.
So this one is about small businesses and then an opportunity to sell to the government,
which I know can sometimes be a little bit of a touchy subject.
But there's a lot of things that you could absolutely be getting funding, grants, things
like that for, so definitely just making sure that we're supporting these local businesses
and then as well as educating them on options and maybe things that they want to try.
Maybe things that are like, oh, definitely not interested in that, but at least having
a little bit more information so that you can make an informed decision.
What a great idea.
In a subject matter, we don't get to touch on nearly enough.
So not only could you take in that, get to learn some stuff probably, but have some great
coffee while you're at it, too.
This event sounds like a lot of fun.
Lacey, is this something that you have to register for?
Yes.
So registration is going to be on our chamber page and then it is free for members, $10 for
nonmembers and then it is in the boardroom.
It is going to be on May 22nd and then it's 830 to 930 and you can also do a virtual
option too.
But I really love the coffee with chamber as well as it's a great networking time because
you also after you talked to everyone, whoever the speaker is, whoever is there, they also
kind of walk around and everyone can kind of do the little elevator pitch, which I always
thought has been pretty interesting just in like, oh, I didn't really know much about
this business and they'll kind of come in and share like, oh, we have this, you know,
press release coming up or these changes or this new campaign.
So that's been really fun, too, and not only you're going to, you know, go there, get
some information, have some coffee sponsored by Duncan.
And then also be able to network kind of rap it all in in an hour.
So definitely a very smart, smart time for you.
Fun event and we get to go to the chamber, we get to visit you guys over there.
So if people want to register, how can they do that?
Yep.
So just go on our chamber website as well as you can also come in register or give us
a call too.
So if you're a chamber member, we can just sign you up right over the phone.
But definitely we're trying to make it a little bit easier.
So we also have the QR code option as well.
They see we never have enough time whenever we get together.
So as we're wrapping up here, we didn't want to make them take a moment to talk about
our main investor of the month.
Yes.
Kerber role is as our main investor of the month, definitely they are on our chamber website
so you can go right through there and have a little bit better understanding about what
they do.
But we've been trying to support other businesses that even if they're not, they don't
have a physical location in Wisconsin Rapids that we can still always, you know, if you're
from point, they have locations kind of everywhere.
So definitely if you're looking for some kind of assistance, reach out to them.
Yeah.
Great people, great organization doing some great work over there.
Lacey, we're in our last minute here.
Was there anything else you wanted to touch on before we let you go today?
I don't think so.
If anyone has any questions, if anyone has any thoughts or any suggestions for any of
our upcoming events, please give us a call at 715-423-1830 or email me at communications
at WisconsinRapidsChamber.com.
Be sure to check out the website as well, WisconsinRapidsChamber.com, WisconsinRapidsChamber.com that
Lacey just touched on, especially if you've been there in a while, nice update.
I thought the website was great before him, but I really like what you've done there because
you've also kept the things that work and you don't always see that when a website changes.
So I appreciate that, especially as somebody who has to do a lot of this stuff while not
looking at the screen.
Yeah.
Make a little bit more user friendly.
Yeah.
I appreciate that.
But it's a great website.
And support your chamber, everybody.
They support us.
Be sure to support them.
You can find out more by not only going to WisconsinRapidsChamber.com by following them on social
media as well and sharing a lot of the posts and things that they do.
Again, thanks for the time Lacey.
Thank you.
And Carrie, thank you for being here today.
Thank you for having me.
We'll have more conversation coming up on the magazine here at WFHR.
We are locally grown radio.
