Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce and ACE Leadership Group

Welcome everybody to Midday magazine for this Tuesday, November 26th, 2024.

Have your host James J. Mailoff here in part two today at 430.

We're going to welcome in our friend Elizabeth from the Wisconsin Rapids Family Center looking forward to talk with her.

Right now we got in studio our good friend Lacey Alling.

I finally get it right Lacey today.

You did it. Okay.

Events at engagement director with our Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce.

Lacey, thank you so much for being here and bringing a friend with you.

We've got Jacob here from the Heart of Wisconsin Leadership Class.

Jacob, we talk with you a number of times.

Thanks for being here.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Appreciate the time from both of you.

We'll be talking with Jacob in a moment.

But Lacey, I wanted to start off if you don't mind getting into the upcoming events.

And we've got rekindled the spirit right around the corner.

It is tomorrow.

Yes.

I'm very, very excited where we're kind of finishing up our own float.

That's going to be in there.

It's a little bit different.

But definitely do not forget to come out a little bit earlier

for the ribbon cutting, the ceremony to kind of celebrate that leadership couple classes.

I think it was three years that maybe more that worked on that.

So they are, they're, they're full and they're, I'm excited.

They're writing green right now.

I think they're going to change.

So they won't say this for the people that I, I saw a lot some online thing saying,

why are they, why are they Christmas colors?

It's not even Thanksgiving yet.

But we're really, really grateful to econ for doing that.

And current for, you know, their partnership for that.

And please come out, parade starts at 545.

We're going to have, I think we have 68 or 70 floats.

There was some that were like, we might, we might bring an extra one.

So last year we had 60.

So we're almost 10, 10 bigger.

So really, really excited to have everyone come and be a part of this.

Obviously, it's a free event.

We're going to have chatterbox down there from 330 to 630 as well as

they're donating cookies for the Santa visits after at hotel

need.

So please come, bring the family out, have dinner, you know,

a chatterbox, get some chili, get some candy, then see Santa.

Lacey, with this event, just a couple of quick notes about this one.

For one, the team at the chamber in our community start working on this right away.

Like, this is almost a year round event at this point.

How big it's become and everything.

Lacey gave you a stat there real quick about how many we,

plurates, how many floaters we had last year and how many we have this year.

You heard an increase in that.

That doesn't happen unless there's amazing work going on at our chamber.

And a community that sees a benefit in being a part of the chamber,

being a part of the community.

So any businesses out there, if you have not already been a part of the chamber,

encourage you to do that.

The part of things we'll see you at next year's parade.

Absolutely.

It's such a, as somebody has been doing this for a while and

talked to a number of people in your position, Lacey.

This is nothing about previous regimes or anything like that.

But I haven't seen these kind of things happening in our community.

It's very encouraging and at a time when I think we could use it the most.

So I just want to tip my hat to you guys on this.

It's some really good work that you're doing over there.

And the community is paying attention and you could see businesses are paying attention

with the added number of floats and things like that.

So just anybody out there listening, you know,

you want to be a part of, you can't be a part of this year's maybe,

but you want to be a part of next year's.

Well, they start prepping on this thing like on Black Friday,

basically, like a, you know, this weekend.

So reach out if you're a business.

Be a part of things at the chamber and be a part of the parade next year.

With the parade itself and the lighting of the lighting ceremony,

cannot encourage people enough to get down there for that too.

This is a community thing.

This is something the whole community can get behind and encourage and be a part of.

So check that out.

We're fortunate to have a parade, have a float in the parade.

We're very excited about that.

And you said you guys are putting some fine touches on yours?

Yes. So it's our first year doing it.

And I'm excited.

I went and bought a lot of candy and we're going to have a bunch of walkers,

preferably my children, if they will do it.

But I am very grateful that we're able to have things like this,

especially with the holidays coming up.

And I know it's, I know it's hard with the night before Thanksgiving.

A lot of people are traveling, but please make some time to just come out,

take pictures, titanium photography will be doing complimentary photos.

Which he will email to everyone.

So he will do pictures for you.

They're working on the setup right now, but very, very grateful that we're

able to have the businesses to donate Kathy from Chatterbox to donate cookies

so that if people can kind of come down and see Santa, I have some cookies,

take some pictures and kind of start the holiday off right.

I think it's a really good note that you had there about having this event.

We've had it for a long time and we've had events like this for a long time.

Not every community has something like this.

And being able to have these things and host them still and all that,

it's a privilege.

It's something that we're very fortunate to have around here.

So enjoy this event.

Come on down, check it out.

Dress warm.

You know Midwest weather.

Dress warm, everybody.

You know how that goes and enjoy Rekindle the Spirit.

I also wanted to talk a little bit about small business showcase.

And that's coming up.

That is right around.

Let's start this Saturday.

Yes, so Saturday, November 30th through the December,

so Friday the 13th.

And so please come and pick up your passports.

They're at every single business that is participating as well as

we're on there too.

So make sure that you're we're your last stop.

That way you can just drop it off and kind of.

There you go.

You know, get both of them out of the way.

But please.

Well, please.

Yes, please come.

There's I visited when we did some of the drop-offs.

But I love Rapids Awards and more there.

December, remember the month as well.

But a lot of places that I have I've went into.

But I haven't got to like look around.

Because I typically if I have my kids with me,

it's like let's make sure they don't damage anything.

But like Milkweed Market, Prairie Stage Homes,

River City Supply Company.

If you've ever been in there,

they're they're right along the expressway.

But kind of where we're going to be for the parade.

But I think if you've never been in there,

they have a lot of great deals.

I end up getting a heated jacket for like 50 bucks.

A Milwaukee heated jacket.

Ooh.

So if you go in on some of their deals,

I know their hours are going to be a little bit more conducive

to shopping this season.

Evolution Axe Throwing.

It is a great space.

Don't be you know, don't be alarmed by the you know,

the gigantic you know,

warehouse look of it.

It's it's wonderful in there.

There's Cornhole.

There's I mean, there's even a little dart for like younger kids.

Like a little safety thing.

But obviously with the Cornhole, there's darts,

there's axes.

I know he wants to start a knife throwing.

But he's really, really passionate about

Axe Throwing as a actual sport.

So there's wonderful places to go to go inside

when it's a little bit colder.

And check them out when there isn't so many things outside

going out in the area to just go in there.

And they let they have dogs.

They have dogs when you walk in.

So yeah, it's really fun.

And you can you can get drinks there.

The kids are welcome there.

I think it's fun to have a place where kids can go

and adults can go and they both can have fun

where someone doesn't feel like they're making a sacrifice

and where your kids telling you that you're bored 100 times.

Right.

I'm so glad that you shut it out both these businesses.

I would like to just a piggyback on that

to a compliment to them in the locations

that they are both located in.

Both spots that could use locations

that could use more business and more traffic in those areas.

So not only great businesses,

unique businesses that you're not going to find in every city.

But also the locations of them are awesome.

I think they're really good locations.

And it's nice to see businesses in those spots.

With with with something like this,

one of the things we certainly highlight

the mantra that we repeat maybe more than anything else

around here buying local supporting local

and how much we believe in that.

And it's a part of our every day life around here

in such a Wisconsin.

So certainly that part of the small business

and this showcase Saturday and some of that.

You and I talk about this all the time, Lacey.

There are businesses and new businesses popping up

that people maybe, you know,

we're just turning them on to

or they haven't had a chance to stop by yet

or something like that.

So here is a great opportunity to do that as well.

Absolutely.

And I I'm a firm believer that when you support local

and you're supporting small businesses,

it's not these, you know, I love someone big chains

because some, you know, some of those things we can't get locally.

But don't forget about the mom and pop stores,

the places that, you know, they're making those things.

They're it's homemade, it's made with love

and you're not supporting, you know,

a big big company that's, you know,

that's publicly traded.

You're supporting someone that is just making sure

that they can, you know, live their passion

and still be there, you know, with their family.

Our friends from family, natural foods and El Café are on here.

I see goodwill, edge VR and other friends of ours.

The trading post on here, I don't feel I feel like every,

at least once a year, I have to go into the trading post.

The items and everything that in there just changes too much.

You've got to check it out all the time.

So there's so many great businesses in here,

whether it's one you haven't been to in a while

or one you just want to check out

or familiar haunt to you or anything like that.

Check them out, get them located and get in on this

and have some fun with it, everybody.

Showcase, small business showcase Saturday coming up.

This Saturday kicks off.

Nukusa Holiday Parade and Fireworks

is also around the corner.

Another wonderful signature event here

in Central Wisconsin, Lacey.

Yes, so Saturday, December 7th.

And there is still time to register your floats for that one.

So even if you are a Wisconsin Rapids business

or a Stevens point or local,

they're a great place to go and hand out things,

be a part of it, kind of get your name out there as well.

Nukusa has wonderful businesses.

The support there from Ho Chiang.

There's wonderful businesses out there

and they are a huge reason why we're able to do the fireworks

that big cities do after those parade displays.

And I'm very grateful for Highland to work with us

and work with our budget as a nonprofit

and be able to do the firework display.

It is long.

It is not like a five minute,

it's like 15 to 25 minutes.

And it's wonderful to have DomTar and Santa Claus

on that flow and how they go all out.

It looks beautiful.

It looks like it could be in a better home in Cardens,

but I can see it.

But very grateful to Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus

to do both of these parades

and all the things that we have going on in Nukusa.

That whole day is, I mean,

you could spend your entire day on Saturday there.

They have their Heather for Nukusa.

Obviously a huge shout out to her.

She's really grateful for her as our chair

for Ambassador Group and they have a craft show.

They've got Santa visits.

They have the fire department's gonna be open.

They also have like, there's gonna be some cookies

at the library and some like story time

with Santa there earlier in the day.

So a lot of wonderful things to do.

Definitely don't sleep on Nukusa.

There's a lot of stuff going on there

and we're also gonna have the lights down there

that they're starting and it has a lot of stuff.

It's a small town, but it has all the big town amenities.

So to go there, you could spend the whole day there.

You know, this parade is awesome

and one of the things that I feel like the parade highlights

is maybe the best export that Nukusa has the people.

You're not gonna meet many better people

than Nukusa people and the area there,

the vibe there, the energy of the city of Nukusa.

And you get that with the parade.

You also get a chance to check out some of the businesses

around there and everything

and got some wonderful spots there.

Whether we're talking about the Nukusa

onetime parade or something like this

or we're talking about something going on

to San Valley and Rome, all of our communities are connected.

We got people that live in different spots.

Somebody lives in Nukusa, the works and rapids

or vice versa, some of those things.

And we all not only get by together

our economies and all this,

but this is what the seasons are all about.

This is what this holiday marathon is all about.

It's getting the chance to take in more different events

and maybe see some stuff that you haven't seen before.

Nobody does this like Nukusa.

They go all out on this one.

I generally feel like every single member

of the city of Nukusa is a part of this event.

Yes, they are out there, they are supporting.

And I love that they support their own.

And I think that that is something

to definitely be proud of.

That parade is, even though it's shorter,

we already have more people registered for this year

than we did last year.

And we are still taking more registrants.

Please reach out to me 715.

Well, you can call the chamber

or you can do communications

or you can register online.

There's a whole bunch of different ways

that you can reach out.

But I always wanna say my phone number,

but I don't wanna say that right now

because if someone calls me my phone goes off,

I'm gonna be like, oh my goodness.

But 715-422-4859.

And then definitely reach out.

If you have questions, if you're wondering,

I know we've had some people that were like,

well, can we have UTVs, ATVs out there?

Absolutely.

I know that some of the rules are different for each one.

So if you are from Wisconsin Rapids,

but you have one of those kind of groups,

please reach out, snowmobiles.

I mean, I would love to see horse,

some kind of horse riding group.

I think that I love animals.

So anytime we can get the animals in the parade,

but please reach out to me or to the chamber.

Anyone can answer the questions.

And as long as you're not Santa Claus

or having Santa Claus on your float,

we're pretty okay with everything.

We have heard a lot of rumors

that we're going to have like a judging contest.

We have talked about doing some kind of 3D printed award

for the best float for 2025.

When the idea was kind of tossed around,

we didn't really have a lot of time to try to see how,

see what are judging, see stuff like that.

So yeah, if you are hearing that, it's not true.

I would love to do it next year.

I'd love to have like a little setup where we can like-

Let's see, maybe next year.

We can like, we can hold up, score, see, slow.

I think it would be so much fun.

But yeah, definitely if you have an idea

and you want to see something reach out, let us know.

We're open ears.

We're speaking with Lacey Alling,

events and engagement director with our hardware scots

and chamber covers.

I'm going to keep doing that by the way.

And we wanted to get into some other fun topics here.

We have upcoming work first programs and events, Lacey.

Networking and night is right around the corner as well.

One of the touch on that one.

Yes, so that is going to be at the hopefully

I pronounce it correctly.

Lash Lashato.

The man are B and B.

So it's kind of hard to miss that.

It's a very iconic, I think sometimes when you give directions,

you use that.

But it's 840, first street north Wisconsin Rapids.

So down, kind of in the heart of Wisconsin Rapids

after the roundabout before you get to the river,

they are a lovely B and B that is having their,

they obviously have a lot of things there.

But they are open.

So I'm not sure if people are allowed to stay there that night.

But they are going to have an ugly sweater contest.

And I know that they're going to have presence

that are going to be open.

And then the winner is going to get a free night stay there.

As well as they decorate a lot of Christmas trees.

So she kind of, I think she has like four or something

like that in each room of it.

And they're all have different themes.

So she does things that she loves.

So I think there was even a hard Wisconsin one last year.

I think there was like a coffee tree.

But yeah, she's Rachel's really, really great at obviously

doing a whole bunch of things.

But we're looking forward to that.

That is going to be Monday, December 16th from five to seven.

And that is our December networking at night.

We're an ugly sweater or hot or the holiday attire

for a free raffle ticket.

We'll be sure to remind people about that.

I want us to get closer to it.

Got some upcoming ribbon cuttings

wanted to remind people about as well.

Yeah, so I don't always share them.

But there's some that I think some people want to go to them.

They want to know about these businesses.

And when I was doing the drop offs for the small business

showcase, I heard it a lot.

Like, oh, we'd love to go to those.

And I just don't check my Facebook often enough.

Or I don't check my email.

So I wanted to make sure that I included it.

So the Grand Ave bridge lighting, obviously,

that one is going to be right before a candle.

But that's just celebrating the completion of that.

The mayor will speak a little bit into how it happened.

And then how that evolved with the community leadership

project at 525.

It's going to be on Grand Ave, but kind of near Veterans Park,

like lunch by the river area.

And then the Southwood County Historical Museum,

they are also having a ribbon cutting on Saturday,

December 7th.

So two of them are right before our prayers.

This one a little bit, a little bit in the afternoon,

11.30 AM at the Southwood County Historical Museum.

And then the Wood County jail completion,

they are having a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, December 17th.

That is more, I think, a more of an event.

So there will be tours and things like that.

So that's 11 AM until 2 PM on Tuesday, December 17th.

Looking forward to every one of those.

Lacey, one of the certainly bring Jacob on here last,

we've got about five or six minutes left.

And I wanted to make sure to be able to talk a little bit

about the leadership class coming up.

And thank you both for being here, especially Jacob,

to be able to talk about this ACE leadership program.

Yes, absolutely.

So this year it changed a little bit.

Now it's accredited.

So really excited for that from mid-state.

So, and I obviously got to do it last year.

So A, standing for Advanced Community Education.

So he is going to speak about his experiences from that last month.

Well, this month, earlier this month, I want to talk to him.

Jacob, tell us a little about it.

Yeah.

So just like what she said, I would say it definitely

is a way to building with myself within the community,

but also just kind of getting education

towards becoming a better leader.

I think that was one of the topic that we worked on today

was non-profit.

And as myself, who I work for the Southland County YMCA

as the Healthy Living Director, we're a non-profit.

But there's also a lot of other non-profits

within the community that I didn't know about until they,

we had their executive directors come in

and speak to us as a board panel.

Like Child Carrying, Career Cod, Closet, Family Center, ODC,

Boys and Girls Club, Hard Chambers, and Ford Acusa.

Ford Acusa is a very newer non-profit.

One and a half years old.

But it was really cool to kind of understand

what they really want out of their community

and how they can impact influence everybody.

And one of the comments that stood out to me

from the ODC is that they basically

preached their vision on how much we give

versus how much we get.

And that's a very big step when you look at non-profits

and their mission to the community

of providing different opportunities

for the members of the community.

But I guess the biggest takeaway that I got from this

is to trust yourself and use your resources within the community

because everybody's willing to give if you just

reach out and ask the leadership developments.

But a big, I guess, problem or barrier

that non-profits are having that I've learned

because of the board of directors that actually

came in and talked to us as a panel as well

is the lack of volunteering.

And that really dropped after COVID in 2020.

And now it's on the rise and rebuilding.

But we really want to preach as non-profits

to the community that please get out there and volunteer

and help out these different programs that are ran.

Because again, we're trying to run these programs

for the community and have these opportunities

for people who may or may not can't afford certain things,

but also just in general get out there

and get along with the community and get to know each other.

But so far, I've been really enjoying the class

and really seeing how I can actually apply that

to my current work world and I'm excited to keep learning

and see what's moving forward.

When we share information, we are that much stronger from it.

No matter what the business and what we're talking about.

And certainly when we're talking about a non-profits

and the funding is cut in some areas

and some are in need of funding.

So being able to share information and ideas,

it makes them that much stronger.

And it helps our communities that much better.

There are so many great volunteer opportunities

off the top of my head.

I could tell you meals on wheels.

I could tell you that there are plenty of things

that are a local YMCA that they could use a hand with,

especially with sports and some of the other activities

that go on.

The Chamber has many events at times

that they could certainly use volunteers for.

I've mentioned that it was Councilor Roberts'

Family Center many times.

You can call 211, another non-profit in the United

Ways 211 and they will give you a list

of great volunteer opportunities.

And not for nothing, you know, in this day and agent

and this time of year, if you were looking for something,

what is something that's going to make me feel good?

That I almost guarantee is going to give my soul a recharge.

Volunteer.

I don't put my name on much in this world.

I will put my name on that.

I will guarantee that.

You put an hour into volunteering into this community

and you're going to get something back

that you can't put words to.

There's just nothing like it.

I appreciate you commenting on this Jacob

and mentioning this and sharing the leadership program

with us and everything.

The more we learn about this, Lacey,

the more I feel like more and more businesses out there,

like this is something I want to be a part of this.

I want to have my employees a part of this.

How can they do that or how can they plan to do that?

Yeah, so please reach out to Laura Bono Ridgeway.

She is our workforce and economic development director

at Workforce at Wisconsin RapidsChamber.com.

If you're looking at the 2025, 2026,

you're obviously, it's never too early to reach out,

kind of get what information do you need?

What are you going to need for employee

to kind of see which employee you think would benefit from that?

I don't think that there is a wrong employee to benefit.

No, no.

I don't think that there's like a specific age

or years in service.

I think that anyone can grow in their role

and I think that as a leader, you want to keep growing.

You want to keep learning more.

And I'm so grateful that I was a part of it last year.

I learned so much and I'm very close with quite a few

of the participants from it.

I have them on Facebook.

I talk to them and I check in with them often

because I think it's just, we're all in this community.

We're all seeing different things

and we all want to make it better.

So whatever we can do to kind of band together, we'll do.

In the last minute we have,

when a shout out our December member of the month,

you kind of tease this a little bit earlier.

Yes, wrap up as awards and more.

I love fan.

I stop in there often.

Obviously, make sure you have time

because you're going to talk about something

and he's going to show you everything that's going on.

But very excited to have them as our December member of the month

as well as small business showcase,

as well as they always help us with internal awards,

our annual awards stuff.

He's always really great at like, OK, this is my idea.

Can you find this?

Yes.

And then he will look online and look online.

And I, he's the bus.

Yeah, he's such a great person.

And he's such a, you know, he's such a kind soul

that it's someone, he's someone who recharges you as well.

Someone to talk to you and just get something off your chest

and it's a safe space at Rapids Awards and more.

And obviously, you're going to see a lot of Taylor Swift

and you're going to see a lot of Donald Trump.

But it's a great place to be.

So definitely check them out and visit them

during this entire month by local support, local everybody.

And support our friends at the heart of Wisconsin Chamber

of Commerce.

And of course, our friends at the South of County,

YMCA, Lacey Jacob.

Thank you very much for the time.

Thank you, James.

I appreciate you.

Find out more at Wisconsin Rapids Chamber.com.

Be sure to follow them on social media as well.

It's a great way to keep up to date and everything

going on in your community.

We'll be back more here at WFHR.