We’re off to the races! This week, I’m joined by Anna Cain and Bekki Scheel of Kewaskum Friends of Parks to talk about their exciting inaugural event, A Night at the Races. Taking place on Friday, January 31, 2025, at Foundry 45 in Kewaskum, this Derby-themed fundraiser will support the group’s mission to enhance the village’s parks system.

Anna and Bekki share details about the event, including what to expect (spoiler: there’s video horse betting, prizes, and Kentucky Derby-inspired food and drinks), as well as their ambitious plans to improve Kewaskum parks with projects like:

• A beer garden with a community room at Kiwanis Park

• A kayak launch at River Hill Park

• An all-abilities playground at Kiwanis

If you’re looking for a fun way to support your community, grab your Derby hat, buy your tickets, and join in the fun!

Episode Highlights:

• Meet Anna Cain and Bekki Scheel and learn about Kewaskum Friends of Parks.

• Details about A Night at the Races event.

• A sneak peek at the park improvement projects in the works.

• How you can get involved and make a difference.

Event Details:

A Night at the Races

Friday, January 31, 2025

5–11 PM

Foundry 45, Kewaskum, WI

Tickets available on Eventbrite.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Kewaskum Friends of Parks on Facebook: Facebook

• Tickets for A Night at the Races: Eventbrite

Connect with Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz:

• Website: fuzzmartin.com

Thank you for supporting Kewaskum Friends of Parks and for tuning in to another episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it really helps!

Hello, fine listener.

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It's been about a month.

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I hope you're doing well.

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My name is Fuzz Martin, and this

is a podcast about positive things

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happening in and around Washington

County, Wisconsin called Fifteen Minutes

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with Fuzz, and each week I chat with

someone from the local community about

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positive things happening in our area.

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Take care.

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Bye.

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Since it's been a month, I'm a

little out of practice and forgot

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to record the intro in the studio,

so I'm using a different microphone.

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So if it sounds different, that's why.

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If you can't tell that's because,

man, I've been editing audio

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since my first radio gig at 104.

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5 WSLD, your home in the country,

uh, since I was 17 years old.

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And at that time, by the way, I went

by the name Fuzzy the Weekend Guy.

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And then when I turned 18, because

I was an adult, I dropped the Y and

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that's how I became Fuzz, origin story.

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Anyway, enough strolling down memory lane.

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Today, we are speaking with Anna

Cain and Bekki Scheel of Kewaskum

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Friends of Parks about their upcoming.

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A Night at the Races fundraiser, which

is taking place on Friday, January 31st

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at Foundry 45, right here in Kewaskum.

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It's a great event at a great

venue for a great cause.

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It's going to help some

of our great parks.

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And with that, here are 15 minutes on A

Night at the Races with Bekki Scheel and

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Anna Cain on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

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Bekki

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and Anna, thank you so much for joining me

again here at Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

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Can you start by telling us for

those who maybe hadn't listened

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to the First episode that we did

together, which was for the Pints

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Polka event that you had, last year.

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Can you please tell us about

Kewaskum Friends of Park, what the

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group is about, what inspired its

creation, and what is your mission?

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Anna Cain: So, Kewaskum Friends

of Parks is a non profit.

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We, have a board of now eleven people.

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Our goal is basically to maintain

and improve the parks in Kewaskum.

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So, lots of goals in mind and

what we are fundraising for.

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Fuzz Martin: Excellent.

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So what role do parks play

in the Kewaskum community?

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Why is it so important to

maintain and also improve them?

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Bekki Scheel: I think the parks

in Kewaskum are really beautiful

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and we have some really great

groundwork that's already laid out.

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Just some of the places and buildings

and so on in our parks are just a

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little bit outdated and I think that

there's some really great opportunities

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to build up those areas and help to

draw people to utilize our parks.

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In a way better, more amazing way.

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Fuzz Martin: Yeah, than

they're currently being used.

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Right?

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Absolutely.

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Bekki Scheel: We want to

see people out in the parks.

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We want to see people

utilizing these public spaces.

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We want to host events in the parks.

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We want kids to be able

to play in the parks.

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We want to draw people to other, from

other communities to our community

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to show them how awesome Kewaskum is.

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And I think improving some of

the parks that we already have.

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We'll really go a long way.

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Fuzz Martin: Sure.

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And, obviously, I'm gonna speak from

a politician's standpoint right now.

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There's not a whole lot of funds

from taxes and things like that that

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can go to this, so that's where An

organization such as yours is important

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to helping support that, right?

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Yeah.

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Bekki Scheel: And every

community has a Parks Depart or

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a parks friend of Parks group.

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Mm-hmm . Like what we have, ours is

just, you know, newer to inception and

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we're just getting the ball rolling.

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But there's a lot of other communities

that have these parks group that

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have done really cool things

within their communities, and I

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think that that's our goal is to.

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Find the inspiration from some of

these other parks groups and see what

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they've done and how we can replicate

and do awesome things in Kewaskum too.

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Fuzz Martin: What are some of the key

projects that Kewaskum Friends of Parks

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are, what are the projects that you

are currently working on for the parks?

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Bekki Scheel: Yeah, we have probably

like a top three I would say right

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now that we've kind of identified with

community help and within our group.

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So, the first one is, once the Kewaskum

pool was closed down, we have this

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beautiful blank space up there.

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We really have some big intentions

to put a community room slash beer

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garden, a place that people can rent

out a space to have a bridal shower,

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a graduation party, a family reunion

that has indoor and outdoor space that

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we can use year round in Kewaskum,

and also attach to it a really cool.

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Beer Garden stage area where we can

also host outdoor events, and, and have

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just a really nice community space.

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another one that I have some

passion for is a kayak launch.

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I think we have a completely underutilized

river space in one of our beautiful

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Kewaskum parks and being able to access

that river in a, a fully different way.

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Then what we've been able to

utilize it for, fishing, kayaks, get

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people out on the water would be a

really, a really neat thing to do.

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And then I think Anna would

probably take the, the last big

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project that we have our eyes on.

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Anna Cain: Yeah, the last project, that

will hopefully be in the area of the, Old

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Pond would be the All Abilities Playground

that we are currently working on building

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and coming up with the renderings for.

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Fuzz Martin: All of these things obviously

take money to make that happen, and

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in some cases a lot of money, right?

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That's where fundraising events

come in, and Kewaskum Friends of

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Parks has a big night coming up on

Friday, January 31st from 5 to 11 p.

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m.

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at Foundry 45 in Kewaskum.

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Can you walk us through

a night at the races?

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And what attendees can

expect at the event.

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Bekki Scheel: Absolutely.

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So, part of getting, Kewaskum Friends

of Parks name out there is trying to do

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some of these really fun, creative events,

and the Night of the Races came from,

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one of our members attending a similar

Kentucky Derby themed event out of state.

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The night will be at Foundry

45, which is a really beautiful

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venue right in our own community.

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So, What you do is you buy a ticket, you

come, get in the door, we have a wonderful

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menu from Crave Catering that's going

to be doing Kentucky Derby style food,

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beverages, and a dessert bar, we will

have the projector, uh, on the stage,

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so Everybody will be able to watch these

live horse races, like a DVD or a video

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of some horse races that, you know, might

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They're not the Kentucky Derby that

you can Google to see who wins.

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It's some obscure horse races, but

you'll be actually watching live footage

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of horse races prior to every race.

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Every attendee will have the

opportunity to buy some funny

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money, like Monopoly cash.

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They can use that Monopoly money

to place their bets on the horses.

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Everybody will have a brochure

with the horse names, the, the

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horse odds, and you can make some

educated guesses on how to try to

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figure out who you want to root for.

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And then collectively as a big group

of hopefully 300 plus people, we'll

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all be able to cheer on the horses

and watch each race individually.

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Winners get called up on stage,

congratulated, and then they

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win tickets that they can enter

to win some awesome prizes.

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Fuzz Martin: Can you talk about

what some of those prizes are

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that people are able to win?

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Anna Cain: So, yeah, we have lots of

very fantastic prizes that have been

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graciously donated by so many people.

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We have a free membership for Honey

Corp golf course that they donated.

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Ace Hardware has donated a Blackstone.

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We have Chainsaw.

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We have a nice cooler, Drexel

donated some of that stuff.

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We have also kayaks that are going to be

there, as well as paddle board, portable

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pick a ball net, anything that kind of

has to do with, obviously, the parks.

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Fuzz Martin: Again, that event

goes from 5 to 11 on the 31st.

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How much are tickets for people to get in?

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Bekki Scheel: Tickets

are 60 per individual.

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We also have, some tables

that are available.

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So.

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a larger group or a business can

get a VIP table, kind of a front

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row seat with some extra fixings,

to view the horse races also.

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Fuzz Martin: Great, and if people

want to get tickets or buy a

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table for their organization,

what's the best way to do so?

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Bekki Scheel: Yeah, we have an online

link that you can use that we can,

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send out or find us on social media.

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We also have, the Village of

Kewaskum is having ticket sales during

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any of their open business hours.

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You can stop in there

and, and get a ticket.

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Fuzz Martin: Great.

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So, so just walk into the Annex

and, and they'll hook you up.

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You got it.

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Yep.

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All right.

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Perfect.

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So, tell us about how you came

up with the idea for the event.

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You said one of your board

members had attended one of these.

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Is this an event where somebody,

like, you have an organization that

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comes in that does these kinds of

horse races or are you guys doing

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all the work yourself here on that?

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Bekki Scheel: We are not doing all

the work ourselves, thank goodness.

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This is a nice package that we can, that

we can purchase and we can utilize for

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the event and it'll walk us through it

and make a great experience for everybody.

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Fuzz Martin: Awesome.

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Sounds fun and I, I've never

been to one so, looking forward.

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I still have to get my tickets, so.

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Bekki Scheel: This is your reminder.

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This

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Fuzz Martin: interview is a reminder

for, this interview is a reminder

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for me more than it is an interview

for the guests, so just remind

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me to get, to go buy our tickets.

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Stay in, in the Kentucky Derby theme.

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So it says in your Facebook event that

people are, encouraged to dress up.

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So tell us, tell us what you think,

what are, what are people going to be

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wearing at the, Night at the Races.

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Anna Cain: So, think Kentucky Derby.

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We want to see your big hats,

your pastels, your suspenders.

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It's going to have the

decor is lots of red roses.

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So come in your Kentucky

Derby inspired dress.

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Fuzz Martin: Okay.

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I'm excited to see what Adam Gitter

is going to show up in just because

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I can only imagine right now.

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Bekki Scheel: And there's

prizes also for best dressed.

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We have wonderful giveaways for.

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For those who are voted the best dressed

of the evening, so more, more incentive.

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Fuzz Martin: Excellent.

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All right.

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Well, I got to start working on that too.

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So, the, you also mentioned Crave will

be catering, and they'll have some

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Kentucky Derby themed food and beverages.

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I'm guessing mint juleps

will probably be on,

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Bekki Scheel: On the menu.

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On

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Fuzz Martin: the menu.

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What else, what, what other kind of

food or beverages can people expect?

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Bekki Scheel: I think we have some

bourbon, and some really great

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bourbon giveaways and, and, and

different prizes to win that are,

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you know, along the theme also.

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I believe we also have some really great,

you know, chicken and, Mac and cheese.

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Foundry

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Anna Cain: 45, has a drink also

inspired, that they do donate

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back a percentage of the drink.

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I think it's mint julep inspired.

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Sure.

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I think Moscow Mule.

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Fuzz Martin: Oh, excellent.

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Yeah.

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Thank you.

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All right.

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Very good.

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I'm in.

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Um.

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I also recently saw on Facebook that

you've landed Mike Paul of Paul Auction

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Company to be your emcee for the night.

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So that makes it official because

he's really good at what he does.

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Bekki Scheel: Isn't that true?

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Um,

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Fuzz Martin: so can you tell us

about, that part of the event?

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Like, so you're not actually having actual

raffles that are like auctions, right?

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Correct.

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It's not an auction, no.

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But from, but there are prizes

that people can win as part of the,

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The video, horse races and such.

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Is there none of those?

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Bekki Scheel: Yep.

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Yep.

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If you're gonna, if you decide

that you want to bet on the horses.

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We have you winning the raffle tickets

so that you can go ahead and put your

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ticket into tons of really great prizes.

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Mike's role in all of this, and

we're so fortunate and lucky that

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he agreed to help us out with this.

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Mike's awesome, and if you know or if

you've ever been to any of his events,

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Other events, you know, that this ticket

will not only be horse races, but it'll

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be, you know, the Mike Paul comedy show.

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Mm-hmm . And the Mike Paul

Entertainment for the evening.

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Um, which is probably worth

the $60 ticket, in my opinion.

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Mm-hmm . So, he's just gonna be our mc

for the evening, kind of help us to keep

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things moving and to keep on the pace.

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And then to help us to announce

the winners and to hand out the

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tickets for the winners and, and.

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The whole program.

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Fuzz Martin: Great.

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That's excellent.

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Sounds like a lot of fun.

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So all the proceeds from the event go

to toward park improvements, right?

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So can you share about what specific

projects or upgrades you're planning to

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fund or hoping to fund with this event?

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Bekki Scheel: Yeah, those top three

that we had kind of mentioned I

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think are the ones on the list.

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So the beer garden, the playground,

you know, what we can do with that

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space and if we can kind of get

that up and rolling sooner rather

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than later would really be ideal.

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The kayak launch is a, you know,

a smaller ticket price point.

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So I think that that's something that

we really have intentions of getting

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done here in the near future as well.

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And we're definitely getting close to

making a lot of these things happen.

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But like you said, a lot of these

things come with big ticket prices and

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the continuing fundraising on, on our

team's part is what we really need to

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do to keep kind of spreading that word.

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Fuzz Martin: Absolutely.

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So.

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What is the long term vision

for Kewaskum Friends of Parks?

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What are you guys looking to do?

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I know you've got these three, but what do

you want to accomplish in the long term?

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Bekki Scheel: I think we really just want

to make Kewaskum Parks a destination park.

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We want to have the amenities here where

people talk about us in other communities.

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And they want to come and visit us.

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When you have your kids scheduled for

a baseball tournament, and you know

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that you're playing in Kewaskum this

weekend, we want you to be really excited.

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Like, Kewaskum is a great facility,

and we know that there's a lot to do

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there, and everybody that goes there

is going to have an enjoyable time, and

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we want that feel throughout our parks.

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And it's not about all just Kiwanis

Park, it's about River Hill and getting

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people to utilize the river, and Utilize

that park in different ways, too.

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We just have a lot of untapped,

really beautiful spaces

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that we want to capitalize

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Anna Cain: on.

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Having a destination for people to go

to also with having a beer garden or a

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playground, this kayak launch will also

bring in money for businesses in the area.

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So someone comes to play on

the playground, takes their

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kids to Dairy Queen afterwards.

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So our goal is to bring more.

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People to the area.

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Fuzz Martin: Strong parks are good

for a strong community and strong

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businesses and everything, right?

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Bekki Scheel: Absolutely.

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Fuzz Martin: So, for each of you,

you obviously have passion for this.

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What, uh, for, and this is a question

for, that you should, I'd like you to both

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answer please, which is, what drew you to

become involved with Kewaskum Friends of

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Parks and really found Kewaskum Friends

of Parks, um, and what has been the

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most rewarding part of your work so far?

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Anna Cain: So what initially drew me

to the parks is, I started visiting

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all inclusive playgrounds with Two of

my kids, my older son had passed away

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young, who would potentially have a

disability if he were still here, that as

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a way to honor and remember him, I took

my kids to these all inclusive parks.

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We had to travel to do that.

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I got this bug that we need to

have one in every community.

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There is no reason to put up a

playground without every child.

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in mind.

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So that's initially what drew me and

then I got this huge passion for how

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important parks are for everybody.

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Fuzz Martin: Great.

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And you, Becky?

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Bekki Scheel: Yeah, I think just being

local to the Kewaskum area and being

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raised in these parks and raised in

these facilities and now being a mom

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who's raising my kids in the same parks

and same facilities, we spend so much

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time every summer at Music in the park.

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We spend so much time every

summer at the Ball Diamonds.

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You know, this is something that our

family is just really involved in.

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Spending a lot of time up there

means I want the facilities to

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be awesome and I want them to be

awesome for a really long time.

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So, I think, Just jumping in with

Anna, this has been kind of a fun

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experience for us to go through together.

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Fuzz Martin: Excellent.

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For those who can't attend Night

at the Races, what are some other

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ways that people can get involved

with Kewaskum Friends of Parks?

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Anna Cain: We are always looking

for people to help volunteer.

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We have meetings every month

that we are more than happy

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to get the community involved.

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Involved and attend, you can donate

to, obviously, Kewaskum Friends

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of Parks, you can look for us on

social media, follow us that way,

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share, post, power of social media.

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Bekki Scheel: And definitely watch

for other events that are coming up.

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So, we already have the repeat

Pints and Polka date out there.

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Off the top of my head, I can't think of

what day it is, but it is in May again.

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May 17th, I believe.

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Fuzz Martin: Okay.

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Bekki Scheel: And that is going to be

A repeat, but even better than I think

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what we did the first time around.

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So, so that one's coming up and

I'm sure we'll have another couple

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other events happening in the

summer in the different parks.

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We had an awesome, successful

pickleball season up at Keewanese Park.

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We did monthly pickleball leagues,

you know, just ways to get people

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out using the park, socializing,

meeting new people, staying active,

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Fuzz Martin: all of it.

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Well, thank you both for your passion

for this and for all you're doing to

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help improve and maintain the parks in

Kewaskum, and I think it's awesome that

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you're so passionate about it and actively

involved and getting others involved.

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So thank you very much

and thanks for coming on.

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Bekki Scheel: Yeah, thank you so much.

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Thanks for having us.

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Fuzz Martin: So again, Night at

the Races is happening on Friday,

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January 31st from 5 to 11 p.

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m at Kewaskum, and you can get tickets

by following the link on social media

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if you go to Kewaskum Friends of Parks.

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You'll find it, right?

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Anna Cain: Absolutely.

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It's there.

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We're stopping at the annex.

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Fuzz Martin: Thank you again to Anna

Cain and Bekki Scheel of Kewaskum Friends

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of Parks for joining me on this week's

episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

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If you ever have an idea for a guest

for this show, don't even think

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about hesitating to reach out to me.

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You can email me at my

personal email address.

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That I've had since I was

22 years old, 23 years old.

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And that is fuzz at fuzzmartin.

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com.

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Again, fuzz at fuzzmartin.

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com, or you can use

the form at fuzzmartin.

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com slash guest, that's G U E S T.

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Episodes of the show, you

can find them at Spotify.

364

Apple Podcasts, YouTube,

iHeartPod News, or at fuzzmartin.

365

com.

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New episodes coming on Tuesdays.

367

You're awesome every single day.

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And I appreciate you listening in

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369

speakers or wherever, right here

to Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.