Dear Editor:

The 2nd Annual Effingham Oktoberfest has come to a close and we here at the Chamber would like to say thank you to a lot of people and companies that made this event a success.

Thanks go first to the Chamber’s Board of Directors for having the vision to create another big community event. Events like this are not easy and they’re certainly not cheap to produce. Thanks next go out to our community for embracing our new Oktoberfest celebration. In spite of rain and storm threats all weekend long, the community came out and brought their families and had a good time. Next I have to say how much we appreciate all our great volunteers. From selling cokes, wristbands and beer to putting signs up to shuttling people around, we couldn’t have done it without each of you!

We appreciate the property owner, Mark Arrington, for going above and beyond the call to make a wet site workable for our vendors and audience. Thanks to all our vendors for taking a chance and setting up their tents to create a unique shopping opportunity. In all we counted about 65 vendor booths on site this year. Thanks to our Sheriff’s Department for security, and to the county for trash cans and barricades.

Special thanks to Joe and Pao Weitzel of the Schnitzel Shack for providing the “spirit” of the festival. Thanks also to Rep. Ann Purcell for helping us with a wonderful kick off ceremony. I have to give a special word of thanks to our “roadies” for helping set up and tear down the music stage. Thanks Joe Tallent, George Shaw, Ryan Moore, John Henry, Kenny Usher and the rest of the crew.
And to our wonderful sponsors, without whom none of this could have happened, we say a huge thank you for your support!

Comcast and the Effingham Herald for being our Presenting Sponsors; Georgia Power; Savannah Technical College for being our music stage sponsor; Fuller Chevrolet, Coca Cola, Harold’s Body Shop, the radio stations of the Cumulus Broadcasting group, Miller Lite, and Warsteiner. We were so pleased to be able to present a bigger and more exciting children’s area through a sponsorship by our own Effingham Hospital. Thanks also to the Effingham Now, Effingham Magazine, Efacec, GeoVista Credit Union, Windstream, Verizon Wireless, Flint River Services, Wells Fargo Ins. Services, Heritage Bank of the South, Burns Ins. Associates, Ag South Mortgages, The Coastal Bank, Rice Creek Apartments, Glaze Beauty Boutique, Scotty’s Potties, Get2It, DeWitt Insurance, Kroger, the McGraley Company, the City of Guyton, the City of Rincon, and Marsh Electric. Thanks also to Quality Golf Carts on McCall Road for giving us the ability to shuttle visitors to and from the festival.

I hope I haven’t left anyone out because it truly took everyone doing their part to make this a reality. Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank our new Chamber Communications Manager, Tracy Wells, and her husband, Carl. I think it’s safe to say that Tracy is now well and truly initiated into the wonderful world of Effingham Chamber events.

Rick Lott
Executive Director
Effingham County Chamber of Commerce