Sparta Today 2010 : Page 1

February/March 2010 ESTABLISHED IN SUMMER 2008 POPULARITY OF BUSINESS EXPO CONTINUES SPARTA’S COMMUNITY EVENTS SATURDAY,FEB.13 KIDSWINTER BLAST PANCAKE BREAKFAST See firefighters, ambulance and towing personnel! Sparta Civic Center 7:30 a.m. - Noon KIDSWINTER BLAST Free Games, hot cocoa, & ice skating! 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Balyeat Field SNOWBASH PARTY 7 p.m. Ages 21 + Tickets $20 Sparta Civic Center Sparta Business Expo 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sparta High School Admission is free Prizes and coupons WEDNESDAY FEB. 24 Little League Late Signup 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sparta Civic Center WEDENSDAY,MARCH 3 Ribbon Cutting 9 a.m. B&B Mechanical’s anniversary 8475 Sparta Line Road, Sparta MONDAY,APRIL 26 Nash Creek Cleanup 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sparta Rotary BY ELIZABETH GORSKI-MORSE SPARTA CHAMBER/DDA DIRECTOR The 2010 Sparta Expo is planned to be held at the Sparta High School Saturday, Feb. 20. For its third year, the Expo has more than 60 booths, with new and returning busi- nesses and organizations. Each booth will be handing out coupons, freebies, pam- phlets, samples, taste testers and information about their business services. The Expo is planned each year to connect businesses and the community. “The Expo is a great tool to meet the community mem- bers who may not necessarily walk in your door to ask a question, so they may not know what services can be provided locally,” said one local business owner after the 2009 Expo. PRIZES This year, each person who enters the Expo will have a chance to put his or her tick- et into a prize drawing of choice. All the prizes will be laid out and you can choose what item you would like to try to win. If you'd like better odds, additional tickets can be pur- chased, five for $1.00. All proceeds from the raf- fles will supports American troops serving overseas. Prizes include gift certifi- cates from local businesses and more. SEE EXPO,PAGE 2 It isn’t all business at Sparta’s annual Business Expo. There is some fun, too, as Carrie Cowdry of The Club Fitness and Tanning displays, helping Swift the Eagle, the Independent Bank’s mascot, work out during last year’s Expo. This year’s expo is expected to have more than 60 booths, which is the third consecutive year that it has had that many. SPARTA ROTARY CLUB RAISING FUNDS FOR FOOD TRUCKS MARCH 15 The Rotary Club of Sparta is hosting a shopping spree raffle at Family Fare to raise money for Feed America. The grand prize is a $1,000 shopping spree at Family Fare in Sparta March 22 at 7 a.m. Second prize is a $100 gas card from Family Fare Fuel Center. Winners will be drawn at the Sparta United Methodist Church in downtown Sparta March 15 at 12:45 p.m. Raffle tickets are $10 each. All proceeds benefit the Feed America food trucks that visit Sparta once a month to help families in need. Tickets can be purchased through Lou Knooihuizen at ChoiceOne Bank on 109 E. Division Street. : In This Issue : Lions Club Continues Support Page 3 Change in Twp. Clerk’s Office Page 4 Winter Blast Is Feb. 13 Page 8 Upcoming Sparta Events Page 9 Business Expo Layout Page 12 SHS’ ‘Cinderella’ Musical Page 14 Businesses Assist Santa Cops Pages 16-17 POSTAGE PAID Permit # 338 Greenville, MI 48838 PRSRT STD MAIL U.S.

Popularity Of Business Expo Continues

Elizabeth Gorski

The 2010 Sparta Expo is planned to be held at the Sparta High School Saturday, Feb. 20.

For its third year, the Expo has more than 60 booths, with new and returning businesses and organizations.

Each booth will be handing out coupons, freebies, pamphlets, samples, taste testers and information about their business services.

The Expo is planned each year to connect businesses and the community.

“The Expo is a great tool to meet the community members who may not necessarily walk in your door to ask a question, so they may not know what services can be provided locally,” said one local business owner after the 2009 Expo.

PRIZES This year, each person who enters the Expo will have a chance to put his or her ticket into a prize drawing of choice.

All the prizes will be laid out and you can choose what item you would like to try to win. If you'd like better odds, additional tickets can be purchased, five for $1.00. All proceeds from the raffles will supports American troops serving overseas.

Prizes include gift certificates from local businesses and more.

New addition to the Expo this year is the Sparta Supports Our Troops table, where community members can create a free card that the Sparta Chamber will mail overseas to soldiers Collections will be underway for necessities for the soldiers including boot socks, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, medicated lip balm (with SPF 15), chewing gum, herbal teas, scented lotions for hands and feet and hand sanitizers and tissues.

Anyone who brings an item to donate or donates money to the Sparta Supports Our Troops Drive will receive a Support Our Troop keepsake.

WHY SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES?

Local businesses pay taxes that provide funding for public schools, support local community sports teams and participate in local organization fundraisers like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 4 -H clubs and church youth groups.

With the support of local businesses, the community can host events and festivals like Town & Country Days, Old Fashioned Christmas and even print this local newspaper with Sparta news.

Without the local business sponsors, this newspaper would not be possible.

National retail chains may have sales that save you dimes and nickels on merchandise that are offered in Sparta. However, the next time you make your purchase somewhere else, think about what those dimes could have brought to your community.

Sparta Rotary Club Raising Funds For Food Trucks March 15

The Rotary Club of Sparta is hosting a shopping spree raffle at Family Fare to raise money for Feed America.

The grand prize is a $1,000 shopping spree at Family Fare in Sparta March 22 at 7 a.m. Second prize is a $100 gas card from Family Fare Fuel Center.

Winners will be drawn at the Sparta United Methodist Church in downtown Sparta March 15 at 12:45 p.m. Raffle tickets are $10 each.

All proceeds benefit the Feed America food trucks that visit Sparta once a month to help families in need.

Tickets can be purchased through Lou Knooihuizen at ChoiceOne Bank on 109 E. Division Street.

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