The Becker community’s annual winter get-together, the Becker Chamber Business Expo, is ready to unfold Saturday at the Becker Fieldhouse.
Hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors can set up after 4 p.m Friday and prior to the show opening Saturday.
Approximately 60 businesses and organizations had enrolled in the Expo, as of Thursday morning. They are listed at the end of this story.
There are a couple of special “invitees” to this year’s Expo, they being Ruff Start, the animal rescue organization based in Princeton, and Buzz the Clown.
Buzz the Clown will do his thing.
Ruff Start is expected to draw a lot of attention. It is a foster home-based nonprofit animal rescue founded in March, 2010 by Azure Davis. The organization has several foster homes in Minnesota and bordering Wisconsin cities.
It is dedicated to saving animals whose lives are otherwise at risk, working with local shelters and owners who are no longer able to keep their animals.
With Ruff Start, animals are placed in foster homes where they receive shelter, love, medical care, training and socialization they deserve.
The organization works to save cats, dogs and critters (rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and hedgehogs). At any given time, there are about 200 animals in rescue in search of a forever home.
Since 2010, nearly 4,000 animals have been saved as a result of Ruff Start Rescue. In 2015 alone, they were able to find homes for 1,275 animals.
Some adoptable animals will be on display at the Expo.
Ruff Start is always in need of volunteers and foster homes. Those interested in more information may contact them at www.ruffstartrescue.org
The Chamber booth will be the site to sign up for some fine Expo grand prizes. A Beats Solo Headphones, featuring wireless and WiFi, will be one prize; a second prize will be an Echo communications speaker.
Many of the booth venders will also feature prizes.
The Expo will feature it usual outstanding entertainment, with several groups by Starz Dance Co. performing, along with karate demonstrations.
Several Becker High School groups will have booths and demonstrations, too.
Caricaturist Bill Morgan will hold down his seat in a corner of the Expo. His services have been a wildly popular attraction.
In the food court, four businesses will be offering items. McDonald’s Meats, a regular to the Expo, will be there, as will A Taste of Craft, McDonald’s and Cafe Pawz.
Expo Committee members include Val Wruck, Wruck Excavating; Lisa Senger, Edina Realty; Michelle Peacock, Becker Schools; Rob Olsen, Becker Baptist Church; Pam Liestman, Sherburne State Bank; Dick Behm, Citizen-Tribune, and Lynette Brannan, Chamber executive director.
Below are booth venders signed up as of Thursday morning:
A Taste for Crafts (Kettle Corn/Food Court), ABC Seamless (Gutters), Alison Hauck Photography, Angell’s Construction, Anytime Fitness, Becker Area Senior Center, Becker Baptist Church, Becker Blast Softball, Becker Community Center, Becker Community Education & Schools, Becker Girls Lacrosse Assoc.,Becker Public Library, Becker Robotics, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate-All Seasons, Bill Morgan Caricatures, BRIDGES Education Committee, Café Pawz (Food Court), Capitol One, CentraCare-Monticello Hospital, CentraCare-Becker Clinic, CentraCare Pharmacy, Citizen-Tribune Newspaper, City of Becker/Becker Police Dept., Coborn’s Pharmacy, Country Lumber, Crossfit Confidence, Edina Realty, Edward Jones, Friends of Sherburne Nat. Wildlife Refuge, Guardian Angels Senior Community/Services, Haller Realty, Hubbard Studio (Expo Photographer), Insight Eye Care, Liberty Paper (provides goodie bags), Loch Jewelers, McDonalds (Food Court), McDonald’s Meats (Food Court), Newberger – State Representative, Oak Realty, PACE Fitness & Wellness, Palmer Wireless, Pebble Creek Golf Club, RetroGreen Energy, Ruff Start Animal Rescue/Adoption, Sam’s Club, SERVPRO of St. Cloud, Shepherd of Grace Senior Community, Sherburne County Master Gardeners, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Dept., Sherburne County Substance Use Prevention Coalition, Sherburne County Veteran’s Services, Sherburne History Center, Sherburne State Bank, South Santiago Lutheran Church, St. Benedict’s Senior Community, STARCOR Credit Union, Starz Dance Studio (Entertainment), Workhorse Construction, Wruck Excavating & Sewer Services, Xcel Energy-Sherco And “Buzz the Clown”.
