Althoff: Let’s celebrate our 75th year
By George Althoff
Executive Director
What do you do when you turn 75? PARTY! 2025 marks the 75th year for the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce and we intend to celebrate our Diamond Jubilee in a big way at our annual dinner and meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at the Baraboo Arts Banquet and Convention Center.
When you’re celebrating your 75th anniversary, there has to be diamonds involved, right? You got it. A special feature this year will be the opportunity for attendees to win one of three pieces of fine jewelry from The Jeweler’s Edge and owner Sarah Fay. Here’s how the giveaway will work. A maximum of 100 jewelry boxes will be available for purchase for $20 each. The buyers will be asked to not open the boxes until the appropriate time during the program. Three boxes will contain prizes:
– A Gent’s Citizen Eco-Drive wristwatch, valued at $395.
– A pair of 14 karat yellow gold earrings, valued at $395.
– And the big bling, a pair of 14 karat white gold “Martini” stud earrings each mounted with quarter-carat diamonds, valued at $1,225.
The evening’s format will be the same as in previous years – social time with food and drink supplied by select members, followed by the annual meeting, remarks, and the business awards ceremony. Food and beverage servers already have been lined up for the event. Food will be provided by Draft City Taproom, Las Milpas Restaurant, Red 6 Catering, Trisha’s Cottage Kitchen & Catering, and Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen. Serving beverages will be Al. Ringling Brewery, Balanced Rock Winery, Tumbled Rock, and Kingdom Coffee. A cash bar also will be available.
Registration will open at 5:15 p.m. Social time with heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages will run from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the Ringling Room. Then the party will move to the Gollmar Room for a program, followed by the presentation of our awards for 2024 – Business of the Year, Tourism, Community Service, Rising Star, Nonprofit of the Year, the President’s Award, and the Chris Anderson Ambassador of the Year.
Businesses that are 2024 Partner Package sponsors already have a set number of tickets reserved for them. Platinum, Gold and Silver sponsors have tables of eight reserved, while the Bronze Level sponsors have four tickets reserved. We just need to know the names of those who will be attending. You can log that information directly into ChamberMaster by clicking on this link, or you can email the names of your guests to memberrelations@baraboochamber.com. Please submit the names of your attendees by Jan. 10 so we have plenty of time to produce name tags.
A limited number of sponsored tables of eight are available for $400, which includes pre-event publicity as a sponsor. If you are interested in a table sponsorship, please contact me or Ben Bromley at 608-356-8333. Individual tickets are $40 and you can register here. Please sign up early, because seating is limited.
A little Chamber history
On Dec. 9, 1950, the Baraboo Chamber of Commerce Inc. filed Articles of Incorporation with the State of Wisconsin. The filing fee was $5. The purpose of the corporation was “to promote the business, social and economic welfare of the City of Baraboo and its surrounding community.” Signers of the document were Willott Warren, John U. Dithmar, John W. Lange, Earl Moss and C.R. Zorn. On Jan. 17, 1951, Secretary of State Fred R. Zimmerman made the filing official by applying the state seal to the document. In 1989, the organization’s name was changed to the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce.
If you have any Chamber-related documents or memorabilia from years past, please let us know. As part of this year’s annual dinner, we are considering putting up a display table to commemorate our 75th year.
Chamber holiday hours
Christmas – Closed at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and all day on Wednesday, Dec. 25.
New Year’s – Closed at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 31 and all day Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Contact Executive Director George Althoff at director@baraboochamber.com or by calling 608-356-8333.
