Award presented at 2025 Chamber/CIDC Banquet

CRESCO - It was a night of awards, plenty of laughs and loads of “gaming” fun as the Cresco Chamber and CIDC held their annual banquet last Friday night at the McAllister Heritage Center in Cresco.

With the theme being “Game Show Night” you could say the game host “celebrities” came out by the groves . . . sporting the likes of Pat Sajak, Richard Dawson, Bob Eubanks (sort of) as well as comedian, the great Jeff Foxworthy host of Smarter than a 5th Grader. 

Hosts impersonated by members of the Chamber, it was a great night with all the tables playing the many different games. Winners moved on to claim a Grand Prize, which included a “used” Kwik Star card––keeping the guessing game a little interesting.  All in all, a fun-filled night.

Ahead of the games, Jason Passmore, Executive Director, welcomed the nice crowd, who enjoyed a wonderful meal provided by McAllister’s consisting of roast beef and chicken kiev with the many fixings. 

Passmore introduced the game show “hosts” on stage, saving Pat Sajak (Ryan Krietzer) and Vanna White (Tammy Henderson) for last, to handle the Wine & Spirit Pulls throughout the evening. Sajak (Krietzer) then announced the first seven winners as White (Henderson) passed out the prizes.

Mark Cuvelier, past president of the CIDC, updated the crowd on the organization, noting that over $1.3 million has been loaned out with the help of the local banks. Grants received and other methods, helping businesses, developers and more were shared.

Passmore then took over and started introducing the winners of three awards, with Cuvelier helping hand out the honors.

• For Outstanding Organization, Kessel Kids won the honor for their impressive work with children. 

“Childcare is far more than a service––it’s an investment in families, communities and the future,” noted Passmore. “At its heart, Kessel Kids is about creating stability: it empowers families, fosters early development and ensures every child has the foundation to thrive.  The future is bright at Kessel Kids . . . please accept your award.”

Director/Owner Melissa Vobr came up to accept the award and gave “many thanks” to the Cresco community, the Howard-Winn. School District, the Kessel Board of Directors, the Kessel Kids staff and many others.  

“Childcare creates a lot of noise in my tired mind, so it’s nice to know that there are community members who are willing to walk alongside with me and acknowledge the role childcare plays in the economic development picture,” said Vobr, who stated she was “blessed” to have such a strong board of directors in the 17 years of her leadership. 

She went on to praise her staff noting, “It’s hard for me to not get emotional when I speak of my co-workers because I know the efforts they put forth each day and the amount of work that often goes unseen. Without my team I would not be before you tonight. Keep your noble hearts and selfless egos and know your impact on the lives of others!”

Vobr closed by encouraging everyone to support childcare in your community. 

“Childcare is a pillar to sustainability. Contribute to the Howard Co. Childcare Coalition, or better yet, be an an advocate in the community or your place of employment. Whether you have small children or not, childcare impacts you in some way. Thank you!”

• For Outstanding Businesses first up was Donaldson Company where Passmore praised the company as a “cornerstone of the local economy” and a “vital link in a global network of filtration innovation.”

“Donaldson’s tends to blend small-town workforce values with worldwide reach, making it a significant presence in Cresco and beyond. Cheers to 60 years!”

Plant Manager Ron Bethany came up to accept the special honor going on to introduce his key employees, whom were sitting with him, plus all who have worked at the plant now and in the past. 

As to see the impact of what Donaldson’s has on the community, he asked to see a show of hands of everyone who either knew of a family member and/or neighbor that has worked at Donaldson. Over 80% of the crowd held up their hand!

He went on to educate the crowd about Donaldson’s, which started in Cresco in 1965 and continues to grow throughout the world, currently operating 54 factories and 22 distribution centers.  In the U.S. they have 20 factories and five distribution facilties, with Cresco being one of the oldest and largest in the Midwest. 

“We recently held an open house, which gave us an opportunity to share what we do and had 92 show up for the tour,” stated Bethany. “I was pleasantly surprised with how many showed up and had a great visit with everyone. Hopefully we can do more of these in the future.”

• Also winning Outstanding Business was Cresco Building Services.  Passmore pointed out that “Cresco” means “to Grow” and Cresco Building Services has been the contractor, making that happen for the past 40 years. 

“Ahead of coming to this banquet, an Open House was held at the new Plantpeddler Retail Center, which CBS was totally involved in, let alone the many other building projects throughout Cresco and our area,” added Passmore. “Their collaborative approach fosters strong ties between clients, architects and contractors, reinforcing Cresco’s reputation for quality construction.  CBS––the cool Cresco channel!”

CBS president, controller & project manager  Matthew Brace came up to accept the plaque, stating the 40 years of service to the Cresco community.

Brace went on to “thank” his many employees at the company, noting the hard work and quality they put in each and every project. 

“We have 27 employees and 17 of them showed up tonight and we’re just glad they can be here to share in this award,” stated Brace. “We truly have some of the hardest working, intelligent and driven people in the industry. (We’re) just fortunate that we get to work with them.”

Following those awards, Passmore went on to “thank” City Council member Amy Bouska for her work with the city and the many organizations she contributed time and energy to. 

Another honor was presented by Rachel and Mike Gooder of the Plantpeddler where the couple praised long-time employee Joe Wacha for his 45 years of service.  Rachel noted that Joe was “there from the beginning” and has been an important piece of their operation.