On this first part of the morning show today, we're talking about an upcoming fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network.
Marty and Sue Frut are in the studio to join us and talk a little bit about this upcoming event.
We say good morning to both of you.
Good morning.
Looks like your summer is doing you well.
Yep.
Little hot.
It's going well.
So I know that you guys have a great background in organizing events, vendors and craft fairs and Sue, you're looking at doing this for a good cause.
Yes.
We've been doing, we actually did the community center for about 13 years setting it up.
So when Walmart asked him to host one, he jumped in.
Volunteered you then?
Yes, he volunteered us and it seems like I'm doing more work than he is, but that's okay.
That's all right.
So Marty, when you saw this opportunity here, you knew a little bit about Children's Miracle Network having worked there, I'm guessing.
Yeah, it's a good cause.
It helps out a lot of kids and the more money we can make, the better off it is for them.
Walmart has been doing silent auctions and benefits at the cash registers where you could leave your extra change to help Children's Miracle Network.
And when I started working down there, I talked to Charlene Sailing and asked her
with us donating pieces I asked her if they ever considered having a craft show and she said that they had but they had no idea how to set one up.
So I basically, like my wife says, I basically volunteered her to help set up a craft show.
And it's going to be August 1st on the green, which is a grassy area just off the black top at Walmart and Richland Center.
And it'll run from 10 o'clock in the morning until 4 in the afternoon.
And for the vendors that set up, they can start setting up at 6.30.
And you've got kind of a network of vendors, I'm thinking, Sue, don't you?
Yes, we've contacted the old vendors from the shows we've run before.
And I'm getting a few new ones.
I would like to include the farmer's market people if they're interested.
And also anybody that's even a direct sales vendor could set up at this fair.
And so that's what you're looking for?
You're looking for people to sign up?
There's still room
for vendors,
it sounds like.
And our booths are 12 by 12.
And they're $50 a booth.
And we would really like to get in a lemonade person that does lemonade stands and a kettle corn person.
I do have some people in mind for that.
So hopefully I can, if I can't get ahold of them, someone else would like to give me a call.
That would be great.
What are some of the examples of some of the people that you know of that will be there?
I know I've been contacted with a Tupperware lady, which is fine.
I've also have someone that does a lot with doll clothes.
And I'm still waiting on some other vendors.
We have Kelly Addison, who does a lot of wind spinner type things.
And Sue Hefner does the dow clothes.
And so we're kind of hoping on our old standbys.
Linda Muller has not gone back to me yet, but she does crocheted items.
Valerie Muller, she does lots of facial things.
And we'd also like to get a face painter in there so the kids have something to do.
Something for kids, something for everyone.
You got a little food maybe?
And we have a food wagon coming, which is Cook's food wagon.
And so that will be helpful.
We're trying to get in a mini donut
truck too.
craft vendors, farmers market vendors, you know, retail sales and things like that.
So very good.
So you're, you've been involved in this a little bit.
I think Walmart has done a few things in the past where they've done like silent auction items too.
Haven't
they?
Yeah.
Yeah.
A couple of times a year, they asked for donations from the people that worked there.
The problem with that is as far as I can tell, it's only opened up.
to the workers at Walmart.
I don't think that the customers have a chance to bid on this stuff that we put out.
Um, it does make pretty good money when, whenever they do do a silent auction, but it would just be nice to be able to get the public more involved in this aspect at Walmart.
So everybody can be involved, workers and visitors to the store and everything.
So.
Yeah.
And you'll have tents up, I'm guessing, for all the vendors.
Well, they, they're responsible for their own tents and their own tables.
There's no electricity available, but we do own a generator for ourselves.
And if they need electricity and they have a generator, there's no problem with them bringing it.
Other than that, I mean, set up your tent, set up your table, put out your wares and wait to sell.
Have you had contact with the folks from Children's Miracle Network
too?
I've had contact with Abby Ryan and she's been very good about keeping in touch with me She's very excited.
She's planning on coming down here that day as far as I know And she's been with the agency I think for a couple years She's gotten a few awards for being part of the Children's Miracle Network staff and
So she's the only one though that I've had contact with with the children's Miracle Network.
They're excited for the opportunity and
the
fundraiser here at Ritzel Center.
And it'll be great and Abby is a lot of fun.
She is a very personable person and she'd be a great addition to the show.
Wonderful.
So you're you're looking at getting the word out there.
You can put some things out on social media and trying to jump
Yes, I've been on Facebook and I've been doing a lot of talking We've been going to farmers markets and handing out flyers.
I've sent out about probably 60 flyers to different vendors So we're hoping because of the Walmart crowd people see the tents and see all the things up.
They're gonna they're gonna stop and
see what's going on.
Good location.
I can't recall if they've done anything like this before, have they Marty?
The closest thing that they have done would be the Easter egg hunt that they had for kids.
Deanna I was talking to her and she said the first year it was kind of slow.
They didn't have a lot of kids But the second year and it's like anything when you start out with something normally your first year is not going to be like what your last year is so The Easter egg hunt now is a pretty big thing at Walmart and and I mean they have the Easter Bunny and stuff like that But that's the only other than a food wagon that they bring in maybe two or three
times a year.
That's the only event I could think of.
Will there be opportunities for people to just come in and donate if they'd like to do that
too?
We'll set up a donation.
Probably something to donate there for people and we're going to put up a few things.
I don't know if we're going to do a silent auction on them like Americana things.
We have planters and bird houses and
Don't forget your eagle.
Uncle Sam's and I've also done a life-size eagle that we're going to either donate or put on a silent auction for this event and any of the vendors or crafters want to bring something and donate there more than welcome to.
At
their own booth.
At
their own booth or
it will have a separate table and have somebody man that too.
Describe the eagle that you're going to have in there.
The eagle that I've done is out of two by ten and he
like a sitting eagle so if you put him on a post or if you put him on a birch plan or type thing he looks really great we sold one last weekend and he is done just like an eagle right to the specifications so kind of excited about that first one went pretty good so hopefully the second one goes better
how long did it take you to make that
the eagle took me a couple days
because I didn't really know what I was doing.
So yeah, so it takes a couple days, but I try to do mass production in our crafts.
So when I cut out something, I cut a lot of that thing out and then paint all that up.
And I can get ready for a show in a week with probably 100 pizzas.
That
was
before she went back to work,
though.
So you're doing this in your spare time.
I'm doing this in my spare time.
That's awesome.
I think when you talk about the subject of kids and children in need, Marty, this kind of tugs at the heartstrings a little bit, doesn't it?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I can remember back years and years and years ago, taking the kids with us to the craft shows, and they always got to kick out of that.
And, you know, she'd have when they got
little bigger.
She'd have him help paint the base paint and stuff like that on our pieces, which it's a family thing.
And it keeps families closer together when they're doing things like this.
And to touch on what she was talking about our donations, we're doing it in the patriotic
background, we're going to have a patriotic birdhouse, a patriotic flower planner, and an Uncle Sam.
And then we're the four pieces along with the eagle that we're going to donate for a silent auction or however they decide to do it.
And I'd like to tell anybody out there in the business world, if you want to donate something for this, get ahold of my wife, her phone number is 608-604-4804.
And donate to it again.
It's August 1st
August 1st
coming up.
We're calling it the dog days of summer
Dog days of summer craft fair
and hopefully it's not 103
I think we've got a good chance it'll be cooler.
I mean, anything is cooler than yesterday, right?
That's right.
So, but it's going to be hell rain or shine then.
So yes.
Yes.
Okay.
I'm trying to get my grandson involved a little bit in it.
He is in Wanaki.
He has his own business and he makes tables and cutting boards.
So I'm trying to beg for some cutting boards from him because they're pretty cool.
So he kind of followed in our footsteps.
So it sounds like more to come and people just need to stop by and be surprised
and see what's there.
Cause I'm sure there's going to be a lot of unique things there.
Yeah.
Awesome.
And you just kind of put the word out there for vendors and for people alike to visit this morning.
Yes.
Good deal.
Well, we appreciate you guys coming in today.
Thank you, Phil.
I appreciate being
here.
Good luck with your event.
Dog days of summer vendor market.
It's at Walmart parking lot on August 1st on the green original center.
Anything you'd like to add that I didn't ask you this morning.
Nothing I can think of.
We did inherit or ask Pepsi if they would help us with a big banner and they were good enough that they made a banner for us.
So we've got that sitting in the green on two fence posts.
So if somebody wants to see
that it's right in the entryway to Walmart's parking lot.
Okay.
And that kind of signals where the event's going to be as well then.
So very good.
We'll keep promoting it.
Thanks for coming in today, you guys.
Thank you so
much.
And thanks for stepping ahead and doing this benefit for the Children's Miracle Network.
The morning show continues in just a moment.
Our morning show continues and WRCO again, thanks to Sue and Marty for being our guests and the first part talking about their upcoming vendor fair.
And we thought we dovetail that in a little bit and talk a little bit about Children's Miracle Network and joining us is CMN specialist, Abby Ryan, who joins us by phone today.
Abby, thanks for agreeing to be on the program.
Absolutely.
Thanks for having me.
Tell us about Children's Miracle Network because a lot of us have donated or we've seen your signs and things like that and we'd like to learn a little bit more about it if we could.
Absolutely.
So Children's Miracle Network is a national organization and it was started in 1983 and there are different territories and we are considered the La Crosse Eau Claire Market.
We service 25 different regions, Richland Center, Vernon County, all of those are in our region.
We are housed at Amplify Health by Gunderson and we have been in existence since 1986.
And since we are a nonprofit organization, we're able to help families with kiddos who are currently on medical journeys.
Sometimes kiddos might go to the hospital and they might have a full day of appointments and we're able to provide things like
meal vouchers or gas cards, whereas a family may have a prolonged stay within the hospital, whether they're going through chemotherapy or a long illness.
We are able to provide palliative care.
We sometimes provide hospice care.
We also provide adaptive equipment.
We help with diabetic equipment and supplies.
We just have a multitude of things that we do and we treat every child
regardless of the diagnosis.
So we are a nonprofit organization and Richland Center has been a huge supporter of ours in the past.
And I know you were talking with Sue and Marty, right?
Yes.
And so they are such a huge supporter because Richland Center is in our territory.
Any family is able to apply for a grant if their kiddo is experiencing any medical hardships or journeys.
And that can be found on our website.
But in the Richland Center area, we have many, many local businesses that really support Children's Miracle Network, and one of them being the Walmart in Richland Center.
They just wrapped up their four-week campaign for Children's Miracle Network, and if anybody was in the store, you may have seen it.
When you checked out, you had the opportunity to donate a little bit or round up at the register.
They also have associate fundraisers that they do in terms of like you may have seen they have these amazing walking balloons for sale and Sue and Marty have come up and they have said we're going to do a vendor fair on August 1st and funds from that are going to be given to Children's Miracle Network.
Now people kind of think outside the box with events like this it's got to be really rewarding for you isn't
it?
Absolutely we've got things like
golf tournaments, classic car shows, vendor fairs, cookouts, anything that people can think of to raise money for Children's Miracle Network.
We like to be there, we like to support it.
I will be there on August 1st, um, cheering everybody on, and um, fun little fact, Sue and I have known each other for a couple of years now.
I met her with her crafting.
And when then she owned a business in town and during COVID, I would drive from La Crosse to Ritchell Center with my mom specifically to go to Sue's store and to shop and to see her.
And so for her to come back and say that she wants to do a vendor fair in support,
of Children's Miracle Network.
It's really an amazing full circle moment.
Yeah, that definitely is.
Before we went on the air, you were describing hero families, and we had a hero family not too far from Richland Center, didn't we?
Yes, we do.
We have kiddos each year.
We like to choose five families who have experienced some sort of a medical diagnosis that Children's Miracle Network has been able to help support them.
And we have had, in the last two years, two kiddos from the Verroca area.
Last year, we chose Liam Schott as one of our CMN Hero families.
And this year, from Verroca, we have Sawyer Clements.
So just to help skip and to jump away from Richelon Center.
And we have so many kiddos that receive grants over the course of the year 2025.
We had over 530 families that we were able to support with grants in our region.
So we're very proud to be able to say that a lot of those funds go directly back to families.
And the funds that we raise stay 100% locally.
And these grants are various sizes?
How much can people apply for generally, Abby?
Generally, it depends on what they're applying for.
Adaptive equipment, they can apply for about $3,000 or less.
Every little bit helps, especially when you have an unexpected medical expense.
We had a little child who was waiting to get some special nutrient drinks.
She was going through cancer treatments and we needed to get them to her as a fast turnaround.
And sometimes it can be as simple as like $120 Amazon request that we needed to get her some nutritional drinks.
Or it can be adaptive equipment, like our CMN hero, Sawyer Clements, from the Verrocco area.
Sawyer is really, really into sled hockey or ice hockey.
And we were able to get him some adaptive equipment so he could play with his teammates.
So just an entire plethora of things that people can apply for.
It's good to know because I think we've all seen the signs and we know about Children's Miracle Network, but it's good to shed a little light on what you actually do and where the funds go, Abby.
Yes, and you know, a little known one is kiddos who are able to go to specific medical camps.
We have a little tyke in Melrose, Wisconsin who has diabetes and we were able to send him to diabetes camp this month.
And he was so excited for it.
He was like, I get to be around kids who have the same thing as me.
And they understand what I'm going through.
We've had another little tyke recently who was able to go to a camp for kiddos suffering with cancer in Colorado.
And so we are able to support those wonderful endeavors as well, because those things can be costly and we want to be able to support families in our area.
So events like the one Marty and Sue are organizing on August 1st are very important.
I understand that you're going to be here that day as well.
It sounds
like.
Yes.
Yes.
I will be doing my best shopping.
I am a crafter.
I love to shop at craft fairs, vendor fairs.
I love to see what all the local people have to offer.
It is incredible.
The generosity and the creativity of people who participate with vendor fairs.
So I get really, really excited to see what that I can purchase to bring home to my own home.
And also knowing that when I purchase something at the vendor fair, it's going to a great cause for Children's Miracle Network.
Thanks for joining us today.
We really appreciate it, Abby.
Absolutely.
Thanks for having me on.
Abby, Ryan, CMM specialist with Children's Miracle Network.
Again, the dog days of summer vendor market invite coming up August 1st, 10 until four at Walmart parking lot on the green.
This is the morning show.
