While the bitter cold temperatures and the changes in parking may have kept the numbers of attendees slightly lower than in previous years for the 21st Annual Business Expo sponsored by the Becker Area Chamber of Commerce, there were also many who could not wait for the 10 a.m. start time, filtering in through the open doors of the BHS field house from about 9:30 a.m.onward, organizers said.
At the Wednesday morning “After Expo” briefing, Becker Community Ed. Director Michelle Peacock and fellow Chamber members Lynette Brannan, Alyssa Braaten, Stan Herkenhoff, Audrey Orton and Idonna Hunter agreed the event had been a success in spite of the weather and parking concerns. The event drew 95 exhibitors and vendors, it was noted, and a number of new businesses and groups took part.
Becker High School was very much a factor this year, with a booth and demonstrations by the Becker Robotics Team, which provided attendees a chance to actually drive the famous “Liberty Xcelerator” robot which carried the team to regional and state competition victories and a trip to the national competition in St. Louis last year.
Congressional candidate Tom Emmer (R-Delano) was one of the Expo attendees who stopped by for a “meet and greet” with Coach Alex Jurek and team members on Saturday.
The school was also represented by costumed members of the drama club, who roamed the grounds selling Expo raffle tickets, with a portion of the proceeds going to the club for future expenses.
The Becker Area Senior Center was an enthusiastic first-year Expo participant, with volunteers manning the booth and chatting happily with expo attendees throughout the event.
As always, the longest lines were at the Food Court, where a variety of vendors served up pizza, sausage, beef jerky, baked goods and beverages during the four-hour event. Starz Dance provided the entertainment, as performers of all ages strutted their stuff, including a particularly charming group of toddlers performing to a rendition of Patti Page’s classic How Much is that Doggy in the Window?
Raffle Winners
The Wednesday morning Chamber meeting this week also included a drawing for raffle prize, with the names drawn from the ceremonial hat. The Grand Prize was a Kindle® e-reader donated by the Becker Area Chamber of Commerce which was won by Todd Nobitsky.
Other winners and donors included: Valerie Gibson, wine and pasta basket from Sherburne State bank; Rachel Vogl, mug and Café Pawz gift card from Royal Renovations; Susie Brown, handmade blanket and scarf from the Becker Area Senior Center; Yvonne Lynch, photo session and portrait from Hubbard Studio; Robert Blake, Stanley® tool set from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate; Tonya Danielson, Taran Danielson, Andy Schmidt and Diane Stroschein all won winter caps from Angell’s Construction; Kaylee Ashmore, cooler bag from Guardian Angels Senior Community; Sonya Cox, four Indian Museum passes from the Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe, and Barb Silbernick, a bag, hot chocolate, tea, mugs and coasters from Insight Eye Care.
Thank You To Vendors/Expo 2015
The Chamber members wished to thank all of the vendors and the attendees who took part in Expo 2014, as well as the volunteers who helped to set up and clear up after the event, Brannan said. The date for the 2015 Becker Business Expo was also set at the meeting, with Saturday, January 24 named as the event day, with hours again from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
