Last Weekend’s Celebrate Becker event was aimed at “Bringing Community Together.”
Their aim was right on target.
“This new community-wide event — sponsored by the Becker Chamber — was a huge success,” said Chamber Office Manager, Lynette Brannan. “We have received such positive comments. The committee has some new ideas already for 2018, and we'll make this event bigger and better in the coming years.”
The event featured a business expo, a children’s inflatables area, a craft show, a medallion hunt and a fat tire bike race. Hundreds poured into the Becker Fieldhouse, the community center and the golf course for this new-fangled event replacing the annual expo.
Fred Graning found the medallion hidden in the flower/rock bed at city park. He has been a life-long Becker resident and he and his children have participated in numerous medallion hunts in the past.
Wruck Excavating sponsored the hunt and disclosed clues throughout the week on their website.
Just outside the front doors of the fieldhouse in the lobby, several food establishments set up shop and sold food and beverages throughout the day. Pin Pon Papas served some of their delectable treats as well as Cafe Pawz, Kettle-Licious Kettle Corn, Becker Girl Scouts and the Becker Dazzlers dance team.
On the floor to the west side of the fieldhouse were numerous inflatable “bouncy” houses for the kids to romp around in. Four hundred and fifty wristbands costing $5 each were sold to allow children to ricochet off the rubberized contraptions.
The inflatable sponsors were: Becker Baptist Church, Becker Community Ed, Becker Spine, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Sherburne State Bank, ECFE/Camp Opportunity, Becker Furniture World, Liberty Paper, Becker Police Dept/Safety Camp, Becker Evangelical Free Church, Wruck Excavating & Portable Rentals/Becker Cub Scouts, Country Lumber, Anytime Fitness, Joe's Bobcat & More and Momentum Student Ministries.
The businesses who participated in the event were: Becker Area Senior Center, BRIDGES Education, Cartwright Realty, Custom Remodelers, Edward Jones, Sherburne Nat Wildlife Refuge, Haller Realty, Hubbard Studio, MN Wearables, Jehovah's Witnesses, Sam's Club, Sherburne County Master Gardeners, Sherburne County Sheriff's Office, Sherburne County Vet Services, St. Benedict's Senior Community, Liberty Paper, Vision Taekwondo, Norwex, Oak Realty, Faith in Action, Sherburne History Center, Edina Realty, City of Becker, Fibrenew NW Metro, MaryKay Cosmetics, Country Lumber, Majestic Creations, SNAP Fitness, Bill Morgan Caricatures, Riverside Church-Monti, PACE Fitness & Wellness, All 4 Kids, All Star Embroidery, Essentially Strong/Young Living and the Becker High School Drama Club.
The fat tire bike race — sponsored by LeMere & Johnny Rock Bikes — featured 31 racers, 30 being of the male persuasion and ran a course through Pebble Creek for 32.5 miles. Peter Olejniczak of Minneapolis, a former professional cyclist at Cycling Development Foundation, took first place with a time of 1:26:47.35. Colin Catlin of Mounds View finished second in 1:26:47.44 and Jeff Hall of Farmington took third in 1:26:47.50.
The only woman in the race, Christine Kurtz, finished in 26th place with a time of 2:12:57.27.
A selfie contest was also a feature of Celebrate Becker where people were asked to purchase one of the baby blue, long-sleeved t-shirts that feature the event’s logo, then go out and about and snap a selfie with the person’s shirts on.
Dozens of people participated and the winner of the selfie contest is none other than Becker’s Mayor, Tracy Bertram and her husband Mark. The Bertrams won a free session (individual, couple, or family session) and $100 worth of photography products from Hubbard Studio.
Prizes were raffled off and given away at the Chamber booth following the event Saturday. A Clam portable fish house, donated by the chamber, was the grand prize and that was won by Miranda Foth. Eric Sura took the second place prize when he won a Dewalt portable charger/radio donated by Xcel Energy.
Other prizes included two camouflage t-shirts, donated by the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge went to Eli Ebensterher and Marissa Pettit. Two gift certificates, donated by Custom Comfort Beds went to Carey Janisch and Arnold Growgamire. Four free Becker theatre Music Man Jr. tickets were handed out (donated by BHS Theatre Dept.) to Mark Ebensteiner, Harlan Tartuk, Karla Minetor and Linda Kroneberg.
Ten Celebrate Becker Logo T-shirts (4 shirts per winner -Sm, Med, Lg, X-Lg) were awarded to Taran Danielson, Rhonda Metzger, J. Graham, Diana Kampa, Blake Soenneker, Diana Weller, Ann Olson, Bryon Cox, Sarabeth Remker, Toni Buesgens and Gretchen Changamire.
The Celebrate Becker committee members are Pastor Rob Olsen, Michelle Peacock, Lisa Senger, Val Wruck, Dick Behm, Pam Liestman, Cindy Kazeck, Jamie Cassidy and Greg Pruszinske. The event co-sponsors were: Becker Baptist Church, Xcel/Sherco, Citizen-Tribune, Liberty Paper, CentraCare Health-Monticello and CentraCare Clinic-Becker.
