Fairbury commemorates excellence in local enterprise at circus-themed chamber of commerce banquet

Some might say that running a business in small town Nebraska might feel as hectic as working in a circus. Well, this year’s celebration of local business in Fairbury took that theme to heart.

Send in the clowns! That was part of the premise on Friday night in Fairbury for the latest Chamber of Commerce banquet, an annual celebration of local business and enterprise.

With Trevor Steinmeyer from longtime local radio station Ol’ Red 99.5 once again serving as emcee and ringmaster, about 230 people representing a few dozens businesses from in and around Faibrury filled up the Elks Lodge on Friday night, acting as the Big Top for this circus-themed event.

"This chamber isn’t just about business, it’s about connection. It’s about people supporting people, it’s about knowing if you need help or advice or someone to complain to, there’s probably already a table here ready to give you an opinion,” Steinmeyer said in his opening address. “Let’s be honest, every business owner here is already in a circus – you juggle payroll, customers, families, emails that start with ‘just circling back,’ and somehow you still smile in public like everything’s fine. That’s not business, that’s a three-ring circus, and some of you in this building are doing that with just two employees, so thank you for what you do.”

As these organizations work to help Fairbury succeed well into the future, the circus theme harkened back to the region’s past, in the later 1800s, when the Campbell Brothers’ traveling circus would often temporarily call the area home – as depicted in a mural on Fairbury’s downtown square.

“Tonight is about rolling out the red carpet and getting starstruck as we celebrate the best of Fairbury and the surrounding area. Tonight is about recognizing the businesses, leaders, and community members who make this town shine brighter than a Hollywood premiere,” Chamber board president Jenn Mau said.

Friday night’s event featured a silent auction and a live auction, with proceeds going to renovate the courts at Fairbury’s McNish Park and convert them to support a burgeoning pickleball scene in the area.

"We started playing pickleball down here about two years ago this spring, and we just have a good time doing it,” said Dennis McAtee, part of a team of about 15 that has helped organize a pickleball league in town. “We have a mission going on trying to fix up the old McNish tennis courts up there. It’s going to take a bit of work – we cleaned it up a bit last summer one evening, but we would like to raise some funds to build it up. We think we can get six courts up there, four permanent, and still leave room for a tennis court for people who still like to play tennis.”

The group currently plays Monday and Wednesday evenings in the community building and is looking to expand. Friday’s event raised more than $1,500 just through a raffle, with the auctions raking in thousands more.

And cutting through a night of jokes, prizes and contests, one of the centerpieces of this event is the community service award, bestowed upon someone who has made a lasting impact on this area, through business and beyond. This year’s community service winner was Jim Criner, who spent more than three decades as part of the power and light department and is now a corrnerstone of every event at the Jefferson County Speedway.

“Some people volunteer when it’s convenient. Some people help when they’re asked. And then, there’s this guy. Someone who shows up early, stays late, and somehow keeps going long after everyone else has packed up,” said Steinmeyer, who nominated Criner for the recognition. “He proves that service to the community was never just a job, but a way of life. If something needs built, fixed, painted, hauled or figured out, he’s just waiting to be asked. This nominee represents the very best in community service, powered by generosity, grit, decades of experience, and Busch Lite and McGillicuddy’s. He embodies what it means to serve others without seeking recognition for himself – and he’s hating my guts right now.”

“I tell you what, if you surround yourself with good people, good sh*t happens,” Criner said. “We may have struggled a little bit, but we’ve got some events where, if everybody gets together, all the sponsors, all the people, all the businesses come together...If you surround yourself with good people, people who believe in you – they will help you. So I think we got a really good thing going here, I really do.”