Mark your calendars, because next week Thursday, September 10, is the date for another year of Taste Sheboygan. From 4 to 10 p.m., Fountain Park will be filled with the scents of delicious delectables and the sounds of great live music. Food prices range from $1-$6, provided by 12 local restaurants: 8^th Street Ale Haus, Black Pig, Latitude 48 at Blue Harbor, Three Guys & a Grille, Highland House, Weimann’s Sports Center, 4 of a Kind, The Bull, Urbane, Dickey’s Barbeque Pit and Weimann’s Supper Club at Riverdale. Beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available for purchase.

When I started working with representatives from Kohler, Sargento, Johnsonville, Rockline, Vollrath and Plastics Engineering a few months ago to discuss how these companies might work together to make a difference in Sheboygan County beyond running individual company campaigns, a few goals bubbled to the surface of our brainstorming sessions. In addition to sending a message that Sheboygan County is a community of individuals and organizations that care about each other and work together to improve participation and awareness of United Way at each company, the idea of collaborating to improve a community event that benefits United Way came up. It was unanimously agreed upon that this group would like to work together to drive Taste Sheboygan.

The next question was, “how?” The United Way of Sheboygan County Business Champions, as they’ve become known, wanted to drive attendance of their employees to Taste. They wanted to drive general attendance of the whole community to Taste. And they wanted to have fun at Taste. A wild idea was thrown into the room: creating mascots for each company to participate at local events and raise awareness around United Way.

These mascots are going to make appearances at three community events over the next two months. Taste Sheboygan, September 10, is the first opportunity to meet these characters, take a photo or two and see who wins the Punt, Pass and Kick competition, happening at 6 p.m. between the two live bands: Spare Time & Skyhouse. And something else to note: Skyhouse’s own keyboardist, Cindy Howley, is Kohler’s representative with the Business Champions!

The mascots will have their official unveiling at our own United Way of Sheboygan County Campaign Kickoff & Day of Caring on September 17 at 7:30 a.m. As the kickoff breakfast and motivational rally will be held at the Sheboygan A’s Baseball Stadium, these mascots will of course be racing. Who will win? You’ll have to be in attendance that morning to find out!

And be sure the save the date for Harvest for the Hungry on Tuesday, October 20. This event provides the opportunity to enjoy a delicious all-you-can-eat meal prepared by the Kitchens of Kohler, be entertained by the Business Champions and support United Way’s Food for Tomorrow focus area.

For more information on any of these upcoming events, please visit our website at uwofsc.org/events or contact me at (920) 458-3425 or emily@uwofsc.org. You may also contact me to inquire about having the Business Champions mascots appear at your event.