Sweet Medical Center, Blaine County Museum hold successful events

 

June 7, 2017

Steve Edwards Photo

Sweet Medical Center board member Eli Hofer (left) serves Center Board Chairman Art Kleinjan during the recent Business After Hours, a Chinook Chamber monthly program. About 190 guests attended the outdoor barbeque which was billed as an annual thank you to the community for its support.

The Chinook Chamber schedules its monthly Business After Hours on the first Thursday of the month. June's featured business was the Sweet Medical Center, which had its event set for 6-8pm, the normal time for the after hours gathering. The Blaine County Wildlife Museum scheduled the first public viewing of the new Foothills Exhibit, inadvertently, on the same night, from 7-9pm. The museum board wanted to make sure the Acorn Exhibits principals, who finished the exhibit, would still be in town.

The overlapping of celebrations by two major organizations in Chinook had the potential for the "perfect calendar storm." Despite a rather violent weather outbreak midpoint between the two gatherings and the overlapping times, organizers said afterward they felt having both gatherings on the same night might have drawn more attendees than expected. People in rural areas, who often try to support all their community activities, become adept at attending multiple ceremonies in one short period of time.

Sweet Medical's June Business After Hours

If memory serves correctly, when the local medical clinic hosted the Business After Hours last June the evening was hot. The layout of this year's barbeque dinner and musical entertainment took advantage of the late afternoon shade on the east side of the building. CEO Dana Pyette welcomed the guests and encourage them to "visit the museum exhibit opening after you leave here." Asked about an expected turnout, she said, "Last year we had about 100 guests, I hope we can surpass that number this year." Nora Conner, Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator, said there were 190 people who attended this year and that was a major jump in attendance.

Conner said in a next day interview, "If the Chinook Chamber continues the current Business After Hours format, Sweet Medical will likely host the June event. It's a great time to thank the community, share some of our new programs and roll out the Sweet Escapes (drawings for major trips both in and outside Montana) for the next year." The last quarterly drawing for the major trip of last year's Sweet Escapes was held during the barbeque and Dan Mitchell won the last big trip for the year. Conner added the new Escapes format would be about the same with an 'early bird' drawing during the upcoming Demolition Derby (at the Blaine

Count Fair on July 15) with four quarterly major trips, monthly drawing for Montana trips and a runner up winner each month. The number of tickets to be sold is a minimum of 150 to a maximum of 300.

Tickets can be purchased at either the Chinook or Harlem clinic office, at the center's fair booth and during other special events in the surrounding communities. Information is also available on Sweet Medical's website and from any board member.

Acorn Exhibits artists introduce the new Foothills Exhibit

Steve Edwards Photo

In addition to the completion of the new Foothills Exhibit, the Wildlife Museum is in the process of installing new signage at all the major dioramas. Museum Manager Tammy Edwards checks out one of the completed signs.

Liz Marshall and Kurt Wohnsten, who own and operate Alcorn Exhibits, have done all the major dioramas at the Blaine County Wildlife Museum. They have basically completed the last major exhibit, the Foothills Exhibit, and will be packing to head home shortly. Tammy Edwards, Museum Manager, explained the Museum's choice of a date, noting, "We were not sure when Kurt and Liz were leaving so we wanted to be sure they were here for the first public viewing of the new exhibit." Early on Edwards was worried about two events scheduled for the same evening but said, "During the evening, I think a lot of people left the Business After Hours and came here. We counted 100+ guests throughout the evening." Wohnsen and Marshall spent most of the evening answering questions about the new Foothills Exhibit and the mobile taxidermy displays they completed while in Chinook. New signage, for the major exhibits, is partially completed. The two artists designed the format and wrote the information for the new signs.

The Wildlife Museum has also launched a new fundraiser, "Thirty-One Days, Thirty-One Guns." Bonnie Ortner, at the Museum, explained the drawings will occur during the 31 days of October. Tickets are $20 each or six for $100. There will be three 'early bird' drawings to encourage people buying tickets soon, the first of July, August and September. Tickets are on sale at the Museum and will be available at other locations during the summer and early fall.

Thanks to all the folks who turned out to support Sweet Medical Center and the Wildlife Museum's events.

 
 

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