Planning an event like the member appreciation/annual business meeting is a challenging task. It’s an annual challenge that demands meticulous attention to detail, orchestrating countless moving parts and even keeping a watchful eye on the weather forecast. However, our primary focus is on creating an event that is enjoyable to our valued membership.

This year, the turnout exceeded our expectations with 695 registered member-consumers, along with their families, totaling a remarkable 1,300 people, joining us on a beautiful fall evening. We hadn’t seen this level of attendance in quite a few years, and it filled the event with a strong sense of community.

The evening began with a catered meal prepared by Birky’s Catering. It was a wonderful dinner of pork chops, classic hot dogs and an array of sides.

Along with the great atmosphere, attendees enjoyed acoustic musical entertainment by the KellTones, who sang everything from the timeless 1950s classics to today’s top hits. We also brought back some member-consumer favorites from previous years, including Bingo, an electric vehicle display, an intense cornhole competition and the ever-entertaining Granpa Cratchet, who kept the kids and adults laughing during his fun puppet show.

To introduce something new and exciting, we decided to experiment with dessert trucks this year. As with any new endeavor, there were some unexpected hiccups along the way. The food trucks experienced longer wait times and lines due to the increased attendance. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and can assure you we are working on a solution for next year. Our plan includes bringing in additional food trucks to offer a wider range of options alongside the beloved funnel cakes, deep-fried treats and ice cream.

The evening concluded with a brief, yet important business meeting. During that time, the Junior Board of Directors received its well-deserved scholarships and the leadership team provided important co-op updates. Current directors Russell Guse and Mike Yankauskas ran unopposed this year for the board of directors. They will each serve a three-year term.

Thank you to everyone who came out to this year’s event. Your feedback and ideas shared that evening are invaluable to the organization. While the next member appreciation event is a year away, I strongly encourage you to remain engaged with us throughout the year. We are here to serve you, and your involvement is important to our shared success.

Thank you to the 1,300 family members of our membership who joined us at the KV REMC Member Appreciation Event/Annual Business Meeting.