MONROE - Green County Cheese Days entertains the masses with music and special events, food and beverage, but it would not be the large festival it is without support from sponsors.
Cheese Days Board President Dennis Everson pointed to 90 sponsors as the lifeblood of Cheese Days.
"We get super support from (Colony Brands), Emmi Roth USA, Klondike Cheese," Everson said. "Basically all of the county's cheese industry."
Everson added that while he did not want to share exact numbers, the monetary support Cheese Days receives is roughly six figures alone. The funding, the in-kind donations of cheese samples and more than 600 volunteer workers are what helps in the success of the biennial weekend.
"It can be donations of cheese, or the appearance of the cheese lady," Everson said. "It can even be finding people to be pooper scoopers to follow behind animals in the parade."
For example, Klondike Cheese of Monroe provides sponsorship funding and in-kind donations. Vice President of Sales Luke Buholzer said the company works to make the community-oriented event a fun festival. Visitors experience Monroe while area cheesemakers and businesses alike benefit from attendance."We're proud of the fact that we're cheesemakers, and to have a festival that the basis is to celebrate cheesemakers in the county," Buholzer said. "Cheese Days does good for the community."
Klondike and fellow Green County cheesemakers help set up the cheesemaking exhibit on the north side of the Square. During Cheese Days, a group of area cheesemakers gather there with a copper kettle and other equipment placed there before the festival begins, and together they create a wheel of Swiss cheese while interested viewers take in the sight. Buholzer said the opening ceremony is particularly important to Klondike because of the recognition given to cheesemakers. Klondike is currently a fourth-generation cheesemaking company. Buholzer's father Ron and his uncle Dave will be honored for their cheesemaking during Cheese Days.
The massive Swiss Colony Cheese Days parade is the most costly item at Cheese Days at roughly $20,000, of which $15,000 is donated by Colony Brands.
Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op has organized an in-kind donation by creating specialty bags of cheese curds to be handed out to children at all of the Monroe elementary schools and the New Glarus Elementary School by ambassadors and royalty of the festival before Cheese Days.
Cheese Days Coordinator Noreen Rueckert noted a number of other in-kind donors within the cheese industry, but said other donations - such as ATVs by Monroe Powersports to use during the parade or the time spent by Empire Media Group to create video clips for the Cheese Days website and a commercial running on local television this week - are also vital pieces to making Cheese Days a success.
"We have some really amazing community support," Rueckert said. "It's exciting to see things come together."
Everson added that funding free entertainment also takes "significant numbers." Bus shuttles to accommodate for limited parking and the schematics of smaller, basic functions that keep Cheese Days running smoothly are also key points which need attention. Everson said without the help of people to accommodate the "behind-the-scenes" work and their willingness to volunteer, Cheese Days would falter.
"We would not be able to host this festival if we didn't have people willing to take part," Everson said.
Cheese Days Board President Dennis Everson pointed to 90 sponsors as the lifeblood of Cheese Days.
"We get super support from (Colony Brands), Emmi Roth USA, Klondike Cheese," Everson said. "Basically all of the county's cheese industry."
Everson added that while he did not want to share exact numbers, the monetary support Cheese Days receives is roughly six figures alone. The funding, the in-kind donations of cheese samples and more than 600 volunteer workers are what helps in the success of the biennial weekend.
"It can be donations of cheese, or the appearance of the cheese lady," Everson said. "It can even be finding people to be pooper scoopers to follow behind animals in the parade."
For example, Klondike Cheese of Monroe provides sponsorship funding and in-kind donations. Vice President of Sales Luke Buholzer said the company works to make the community-oriented event a fun festival. Visitors experience Monroe while area cheesemakers and businesses alike benefit from attendance."We're proud of the fact that we're cheesemakers, and to have a festival that the basis is to celebrate cheesemakers in the county," Buholzer said. "Cheese Days does good for the community."
Klondike and fellow Green County cheesemakers help set up the cheesemaking exhibit on the north side of the Square. During Cheese Days, a group of area cheesemakers gather there with a copper kettle and other equipment placed there before the festival begins, and together they create a wheel of Swiss cheese while interested viewers take in the sight. Buholzer said the opening ceremony is particularly important to Klondike because of the recognition given to cheesemakers. Klondike is currently a fourth-generation cheesemaking company. Buholzer's father Ron and his uncle Dave will be honored for their cheesemaking during Cheese Days.
The massive Swiss Colony Cheese Days parade is the most costly item at Cheese Days at roughly $20,000, of which $15,000 is donated by Colony Brands.
Maple Leaf Cheese Co-op has organized an in-kind donation by creating specialty bags of cheese curds to be handed out to children at all of the Monroe elementary schools and the New Glarus Elementary School by ambassadors and royalty of the festival before Cheese Days.
Cheese Days Coordinator Noreen Rueckert noted a number of other in-kind donors within the cheese industry, but said other donations - such as ATVs by Monroe Powersports to use during the parade or the time spent by Empire Media Group to create video clips for the Cheese Days website and a commercial running on local television this week - are also vital pieces to making Cheese Days a success.
"We have some really amazing community support," Rueckert said. "It's exciting to see things come together."
Everson added that funding free entertainment also takes "significant numbers." Bus shuttles to accommodate for limited parking and the schematics of smaller, basic functions that keep Cheese Days running smoothly are also key points which need attention. Everson said without the help of people to accommodate the "behind-the-scenes" work and their willingness to volunteer, Cheese Days would falter.
"We would not be able to host this festival if we didn't have people willing to take part," Everson said.