West Bend, WI – The heavy lifting for ornaments and decorations at Enchantment in the Park has begun thanks to a group of volunteers who have been involved in the initial setup the past 12 years.
Dan Geiser, 31, is a 2005 graduate of Random Lake High School. “We’re the heavy equipment and muscle,” he said with a bit of a southern drawl.
Geiser and his team say the set up normally gets easier every year because they’ve found a way to perfect it. “We’re more organized and we label things now so we’re not running around looking for pieces,” he said.
The fellas will gather at Regner Park just behind Carl Kuss Field.
Clay Schneider, 28, is a 2009 graduate of Random Lake High School. He comes in from Fredonia to help with Enchantment. “This is fun for us,” Schneider said. “It’s like a man’s weekend out.”
The Schneider team of Joel, Clay and Grant were joined by Kenny Morris, Lloyd Reams, and Jim Fleming to put up the big archways at the entrance to Enchantment.
Joel Schneider with SEEK Careers and Staffing said getting together with the fellas each year means a lot and combined with the volunteer effort, it couldn’t make for a better weekend. “This is for Rotary and we like doing stuff for the community,” said Joel Schneider. “Mostly this is the same crew of 10 or 12 and we’ve been doing this since the event started at the Fair Grounds.”
The main setup weekends at Enchantment in the Park are October 16 and 23.
Opening night is Friday, November 26. Enchantment runs through Christmas Eve. All outside activities will be included; drive through light display, horse and carriage, firepit and marshmallow roasting.
Each year more than 5,100 volunteer hours are invested at Enchantment in the Park as local Rotary and Kiwanis groups team up on the holiday light display.
The annual event at Regner Park raises money and donations for area food pantries.
