Greenfield gears up for Wheels of Progress
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Greenfield Rotary Club Wheels of Progress festival will roll into town July 16-18 and organizers say the annual event will feature something for every member of the family. The three-day event will have a host of games, music, food, a pageant, and multiple parades.
The festival will be an especially busy time for Rotary Club member Jim Weller, who works on the organizational committee, and is also this year’s parade grand marshal.
Weller was humble about the honor when he spoke to The Highland County Press, saying, “We always try to pick someone prominent in the community. Why they picked me, I have no idea! They claim it’s because I’ve been in charge of the festival for many years and coordinating it like I do. Other than that, I don’t know.”
A Greenfield native, Weller said he worked at NCR for more than 27 years, and then worked with an international trade association out of
Washington, D.C. before moving back to Greenfield in 1993.
“I just recently retired, and did a lot of volunteer work with Rotary, was treasurer of Rotary,” Weller said. “My wife, Sandra, volunteers at the Greenfield Christian Center, and my daughter volunteers at the church also.
We stay very busy.”
In addition to his wife, Weller said he hopes to ride in the parade with his newborn grandson, as the event is “A really family oriented festival.
"There is lots of entertainment and lot of things people can participate in, whether it’s music or games and contests. We have two parades – the car parade and the main parade – antique cars and tractors. From the churning of old-fashioned ice cream with a machine made from
tractor parts, to an “adult drinking contest,” Weller said there will be plenty to do, and that the proceeds from the event will benefit the
Greenfield community.
“We’ve got a tremendous amount of food booths this year, more than we have ever had,” Weller said.
“We’ve been trying to come up with new games to make it a very fun weekend. We are trying to raise funds that we can put back into the community. We are hoping to raise $30,000 at our auction, and every penny goes back to the community in some way, whether it is through the rec center, or youth groups, or through the school. There are so many projects and scholarships, and we try to put it back where it is needed.”[[In-content Ad]]
The festival will be an especially busy time for Rotary Club member Jim Weller, who works on the organizational committee, and is also this year’s parade grand marshal.
Weller was humble about the honor when he spoke to The Highland County Press, saying, “We always try to pick someone prominent in the community. Why they picked me, I have no idea! They claim it’s because I’ve been in charge of the festival for many years and coordinating it like I do. Other than that, I don’t know.”
A Greenfield native, Weller said he worked at NCR for more than 27 years, and then worked with an international trade association out of
Washington, D.C. before moving back to Greenfield in 1993.
“I just recently retired, and did a lot of volunteer work with Rotary, was treasurer of Rotary,” Weller said. “My wife, Sandra, volunteers at the Greenfield Christian Center, and my daughter volunteers at the church also.
We stay very busy.”
In addition to his wife, Weller said he hopes to ride in the parade with his newborn grandson, as the event is “A really family oriented festival.
"There is lots of entertainment and lot of things people can participate in, whether it’s music or games and contests. We have two parades – the car parade and the main parade – antique cars and tractors. From the churning of old-fashioned ice cream with a machine made from
tractor parts, to an “adult drinking contest,” Weller said there will be plenty to do, and that the proceeds from the event will benefit the
Greenfield community.
“We’ve got a tremendous amount of food booths this year, more than we have ever had,” Weller said.
“We’ve been trying to come up with new games to make it a very fun weekend. We are trying to raise funds that we can put back into the community. We are hoping to raise $30,000 at our auction, and every penny goes back to the community in some way, whether it is through the rec center, or youth groups, or through the school. There are so many projects and scholarships, and we try to put it back where it is needed.”[[In-content Ad]]