Hello all, welcome to WFHR's Rapids Report for this May 13th, 2025.
I have your host, James J. Mailoff here.
We're talking today with our great friend,
Promise's Bach, and she is with the Heartless Constant Chamber
Commerce Marketing Communications Director, Promise Good to See You.
Good to see you too.
Thanks a lot for being here today.
We appreciate the time as always.
Got a bunch of fun things to get into,
so we're going to dive right into it,
and we're starting with networking at night.
Yeah, so networking at night is a monthly event
that is hosted by a member business.
So our next one is May 19th at our host,
Senior Living, from 5 PM to 7 PM.
We are going to be having a bingo there.
It's an activity that'll get people to interact with each other
and the first four people who bring their bingo cards up
to the raffle desk will get a pair of rafters tickets
for completing that challenge.
This one's really, it's a great event for our member businesses
to make connections and network with other member businesses
in the area.
If you're not a member business, this
is free for those that are interested in joining the chamber.
Kind of get your toes in the water a little bit there
and start meeting people and see what things are all about.
So it's free to attend.
We're going to have raffles.
We're going to have snacks.
It's going to be great.
So everybody knows this one's going
to be at our host, Senior Living,
and their 16th Street South location.
I love the location.
I love doing something over there.
And more events like that at our living centers
and giving them, for lack of a better word,
some action, some stuff going on and everything
that can always be a lot of fun and that's great.
And also the other, like I always
think with the events like this,
where we talk a lot about synergy
or being able to business, this business,
being able to communicate and stuff,
but also the other just organic conversations
that can happen and information
that can be shared and stuff.
Along with, of course, the friendships
that could be made and the amount of other things
that happen, I know you guys have been doing this
for a long time and over the years,
I've just heard so many stories of people like,
oh, I never knew so and so
and now we're Facebook friends and we're talking all the time.
And there's so many layers to an event like this
that I love that you guys do.
And certainly business wise,
if you're a business out there,
this is a wonderful opportunity to, like you said,
put your, you know, test the water,
see what it feels and everything
and see what the chamber can do for you
and I almost guarantee you are going to be a member.
I can't imagine the percentage of people
that try this out and then become chamber members.
I would bet on that.
I would bet on a high percentage.
Is this one of those events
that even if, whether a member or not,
you should register for or just show up problems?
Just show up for this one.
It's pretty casual and laid back.
Most of the times we just gather on food and drinks
and chat with each other and mingle about the room
and last time we had an LKFA.
There was quite a few new faces there.
So it was really great being able to introduce other members
to some of the members that show up regularly.
You know, it's a great event to attend.
This is also a popular event to everybody.
So if you're a business out there hearing this
and you're like, oh, that sounds really cool.
We want to be in on this.
Yeah, we thought of that too at the studio.
Get in line.
It is a long list.
And that's a, I say that with love and respect
because it just shows how much we as a community
love this event and everything.
We're looking forward to more and more of these.
Join us for network and May 19th,
five to seven over our house senior living
at 2941, 16th Street South right here in Rapids.
Got another coffee with the chamber coming up too, promise.
Yep, so this coffee with the chamber
is our big one.
It covers our wood county economic development updates.
So there's going to be multiple speakers
at it covering different topics like, you know,
my boss, Daisy Keevy will be there covering, you know,
updates from the chamber extension.
Wood County will be there.
The wood County planning and zoning.
There'll be updates with broadband updates
from Mary Ann Lippert updates from child caring.
Wood County health department.
This one is kind of, it got really big
because there was such an interest in, you know,
hearing all these updates.
And I think we do this once or twice a year.
And it got so large last time that we're no longer able
to house it in the chamber boardroom.
So we moved it over to the Wood County Jail Court
house, their new boardroom over there.
So this is on May 28th from 8 30 a.m. to 9 30 a.m.
at the County boardroom at the Wood County Jail,
which have you been inside there yet?
It's beautiful.
I haven't been in, but I've seen the picture saying,
I know it feels so weird to say, but it is.
And they did a really, really good job with that job.
And at such a, it's such a gift really
when you think about it now.
Sheriff Becker and I and Lance Plymmel and I,
we've talked about that new jail endlessly before,
they're getting the funding to the point
of it being made to where we are now.
So I don't want to repeat information here necessarily
or anything, but this was something that needed to be done.
It's for the safety of our officers and the clients
and all those things.
But the add-ons that can happen from this,
like you guys being able to there
or other businesses, non-profits being able
to use that space, it's such a good use of space.
It's such a smart use of space.
And it's a really nice building.
That's what I'm hearing.
So that all understandable.
I remember in the years you guys have been doing this
and how this has grown, to see how this has grown,
it's really cool.
It also speaks to how important the event is
and how much it means to people and the information here.
Almost every one of these guests, actually,
I think every single one of the guests
have been on the rapid support with us at one point or another.
And every one of them, great speakers, very intelligent,
really know what they're talking about.
What an opportunity to be able to hear
from one of these individuals, let alone all of them
and you don't have to leave the room.
There's right there, it's coming,
the information's coming to you.
All you got to do is show up.
Is this one of those ones that we need to register for?
Yes, this one is registration is free for chamber members,
but we do need that registration
to track how much coffee we should get.
Yes, that's very important.
I'm not kidding, it's very important.
Yeah, and then if you're not a member,
I think it's like a minimal fee of like $10 to register.
This one is, it's really great
if you're a business member in the area
and you want updates on all of these different areas
that can impact your business.
I never really thought about how childcare
can impact a company.
So there's an issue with that in the area.
So this is if you have concerns with that
or have other concerns with like planning and zoning,
this is a great one to sit in on
and just, you know, if you need to have questions,
you can jump in and ask questions too while you're there.
You know, every one of these people
you can reach by email or phone and that,
but again, how often they're gonna have just right face
to face being able to ask these questions
and get that information that much quicker.
Well also, again, every one of these individuals,
great talkers, great, and not only public speaking,
but the information they have.
I do want to thank each one of those individuals
for doing this and taking the time to be a part of it
because again, the information is so impactful.
If people do want to register a promise,
how can they do that?
They can go online at WisconsinRapidsChamber.com
or give us a call at 715-423-1830.
And we, one of our favorite times of the year,
we all love somewhere around here and everything,
but it's in part because of the events that we have
and a couple of key ones in particular
really stand out in this area.
Lunch by the River has been one of our more favorite
popular events in this area for a very long time.
And it's something that in recent years,
we've been so spoiled and happy to be a part of at the studios
here.
We're looking forward to another great year
of Lunch by the River.
Yeah, Lunch by the River is just right around the corner.
Yeah.
Summer came out really fast this year, it feels like, yeah.
So Lunch by the River kicks off June 5th
and it happens every Thursday until August 28th.
It's from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. down in the Veterans Memorial Park.
There's going to be food trucks, entertainment.
There's going to be sponsor booths there
so you can stop by their booths and learn more
about their company and grab some of their swag.
We will also have an informational table down there
about upcoming Chamber events
and how you can get involved in the community with us.
There's going to be different sponsor booths each day.
But it's free to attend and that we
do have a huge community following
and that goes to it.
Almost every Thursday it seems.
It's one of our bigger community events
that we host all summer long.
So it's like, and one of our most popular days
is like the kids stuffed the bus day.
I'm always fascinated and marveled
by how many people come to support that cause.
So there'll be other causes throughout the summer
to check out as well.
Yeah.
I know that so many great nonprofits and organizations
are going to be a part of it,
where Terry and I from the United Way
talk a lot about stuffed desk
and collecting school supplies right now, everybody.
And then eventually they're going to need
some volunteers to help put those in bad packs and everything.
I know that the Wisconsin Rebs Community Theater,
the hope always going to be down there performing.
And there's so many great things
and so much stuff that you don't even know about yet.
It hasn't even been released yet.
And all of that being said,
Veterans Park is beautiful.
Any chance to be down there is awesome,
whether it's the Fourth of July fireworks
or it's lunch by the river.
And it's another great opportunity
for so many of our local food businesses
or food trucks to sell their items
and reach out to the audience and let people know,
hey, we're here, you should try this.
I think about, I hate to say one
because I'm not going to mention all of them.
But there's certain ones that stand out to me
that they've been around this for a long time now.
They've been doing this for a while.
So much of the success they would tell you
comes from lunch by the river
and being seen by so many people
that they wouldn't have otherwise.
I know.
And Lacey really worked on expanding the area
for the food trucks.
So I know we're going to have a couple of new ones.
One of them I'm really excited about.
So as you do with cheese curds.
Sounds great.
I know you guys can't see her,
but probably she's lighting up right now.
She's fighting so hard to not say what it is.
I will find out on one future episode or something like that.
And real soon, because again,
lunch by the river is kicking off June 5th.
So it's right around the corner.
Food trucks, entertainment going to be down there.
And a different sponsored booth as Promise was saying.
This is free to attend everybody.
Promise, are you guys all booked
as far as entertainment and food trucks and everything?
We have one day open left for entertainment.
That's August 14th.
So if you're interested in performing down there
showcasing some of the skills that you have,
we have a variety of people going down there this year.
We have an orchestra, the mariachi band.
I know the creepers car club is going to be down there
one of those dates.
So August 14th is the last date available for entertainment.
And then we have a couple of days open for co-sponsorships.
I don't remember those dates right off the top of my head.
You can reach out to the gang at the chamber
and find out more.
Go to their website and encourage you
to go to Wisconsinrabbitschamber.com.
Not only can find all the information that Promise
and I are talking about, but register for certain events
or just reach out to them for more.
And as we wrap up, it's the big one.
The Crambory Blossom Festival.
It's the signature, I believe the signature event
in this area.
That's just my opinion.
It's just what I say.
But I really feel like I'm not alone on that one.
It's such a cool big event.
And it brings, what reason I call it that is,
yes, the popularity and how much people enjoy it.
And yet you got people from towns over coming to this one.
But it's just such a great job of bringing everybody,
everybody in the community together.
It really does its best to try to do that.
And I don't think there's a lot of events
that can really say that.
I think this one really does a great job of it.
Yeah, so nothing says summertime in Wisconsinrabbits,
like the Crambory Blossom Festival.
They have multiple, you know, activities
in various locations throughout Wisconsin Rapids.
But for the chamber, we host the Crambory Blossom Festival
of Bender Fair.
So that's happening on June 21st from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
And it'll be located downtown Wisconsin Rapids
on West Grand Avenue, where it's been every single year.
I think we have, we're planning on a little bit,
like right around 100 boost this year
and we're bringing in more food trucks.
So we're kind of trying to expand it.
Yeah, I know it's getting huge.
And I can't believe a little team of five
can like coordinate this.
And that's so, yeah.
You guys are amazing over there, by the way.
So registration for vendor boosts and food trucks
is now open.
So if you're interested in being down there this year,
I'd highly, highly recommend getting in there
because as we grow, spacing is becoming more limited.
You know, we have to get those permits in for those roads
and things like that.
So if you're interested in being down there
with your vendor booth or your food truck,
please reach out to Lazy Alling at 715-422-4859.
And then we also have a few sponsorships
left available too.
So that's a great way of getting your name out
to the masses this summer.
Your local, be on all of our flyers,
all of our social media.
There'll be mentions of your sponsorship in our lives.
And it just goes on and on.
And keep in mind this year's theme
is blast from the past.
That's awesome.
I love that.
That just screams nostalgia to me.
That it's gonna be a lot of fun.
And seeing the floats and everything
and all of this that already getting excited about it.
Encourage you to find out more
by reaching out to the promise
and the team over there promise
if they want to reach you specifically,
how can they do that?
They can give me a call at 715-422-4856
or shoot me an email at marketingatwisconsinrefacechamber.com.
And of course, again, the website
was constanrapidschamber.com, bookmark it,
keep up to date and all the cool things they're doing.
They got to the great events tab
that encourage you to check out.
But along with that,
there's a workforce and economic development tabs
that have a ton of great information on there,
especially if you're new to the area.
I can't, it's one of the major things
that I recommend to anybody new in the area.
Check out the Chamber's website,
get up to date on things right away.
And of course, follow them on social media.
It's a great way to keep the date
and everything they're doing and share and post
on your page that people might not see otherwise.
Promise we'll talk again real soon.
Thanks so much for everything
and say hi to the team over there for us.
That's good.
And thank you all for joining the conversation here
at WFHR's Rapids Report.
