One of the most heavily trafficked buildings during the Williams County Fair is that of the Williams County Dairy Association, and for good reason. It is at that building that members of the Williams County Dairy Association, in concert with an army of approximately 275 volunteers, produced thousands of vanilla and chocolate milkshakes during the 2016 Fair. The funds generated through the sale of the milkshakes goes right back into the community, and on the evening of February 13, $4,000 in milkshake revenues was donated as part of the Williams County Dairy Association’s Annual Banquet at the Veteran’s Memorial Building on the Williams County Fairgrounds.
It takes a lot of milkshakes to garner enough funds to make substantial donations, but the Dairy Association has, through years of experience, turned the manufacture of money-making milkshakes into an art form. The above reference of ‘thousands of milkshakes’ is, at best, generic. Breaking down the numbers, the Dairy Association went through 2,028 gallons of ice cream in 676 three gallon tubs. Added to the ice cream was 192 gallons of homogenized milk, and 495 gallons of chocolate milk. Placed under the hands of the myriad volunteers, the aforementioned dairy products were combined for the creation of approximately 12,475 milkshakes. Consider that number for a minute.
If you figure the building being open for business 12 hours a day, and have that over the eight days of the fair, the Dairy Association churned out an average of 1,560 milkshakes a day…that’s better than two every minute. The Dairy Association Banquet celebrated that monumental achievement, and turned it into a community enriching event.
Auntie V’s Catering provided a sumptuous family-style meal of ham and roast beef, served with tossed salads, corn, mashed potatoes, a selection of pies, and of course, ice cream. After the meal, Mr. John Radabaugh, the President of the Williams County Dairy Association, came forward to introduce the Association officers, local elected officials, those who assisted with the operations during the fair, and those who assisted with the banquet. After recapping the Dairy Association activities for a very busy 2016, Mr. Radabaugh called forward Association Vice-President Dave Bistline for the presentation of three significant financial donations.
Accepting a $1,500 check on behalf of the 4-H Camp Palmer Pool Fund was Kim Herman, the Williams County 4-H Program Coordinator and Camp Palmer Board Secretary. Ms. Herman thanked the Association for their donation toward paying off the pool, as well as their ongoing year-round support for the programs of the 4-H.
Mr. Bistline then presented a check to $1,500 to the Williams County Fair Board as a contribution to their ongoing fundraising to meet a $50,000 commitment for a matching grant to construct a new goat barn. Receiving the check on behalf of the Fair Board was Chuck Wallace and Eugene Wilson. “I’d like to thank all of you very much,” Mr. Wallace said. “I know what you guys are doing…it takes a lot of time and effort. You are there in the building making milkshakes…you guys go nuts.” Holding up the envelope that contained the check, he added, “There’s a lot of people that don’t know just how much it takes to get something like that done, and how many milkshakes it takes just to get this.”
Finally, Mr. Radabaugh called Bob Walkup to the stage to receive a $1,000 check on behalf of the Williams County Veteran’s Memorial. “This presentation…is for the custodians of the venue that we’re at this evening,” Mr. Radabaugh said. “This building has been built for our use, and future generations to use as a memorial to the sacrifices many have given, and are currently giving to protect our freedom.”
After the presentations, Mr. Radabaugh welcomed to the stage singer/guitarist Cliff Erickson. He was most fit for the job to close out the evening, as he would be a tough act to follow on any other occasion. Erickson’s haunting voice and masterful use of the 12-string guitar has made him a preferred opening act for the likes of Ringo Starr, Kenny Rogers and the Beach Boys, and his performance on this evening gave proof to his talents. Weaving dry humor throughout his performance, he had the audience doing three things all evening…laughing, singing along, and giving applause.
Timothy Kays can be reached at tim@thevillagereporter.com