AROUND THE COMMUNITY: Bike the Barn Quilts coming in September

Shawano Pathways is inviting bicyclists on a scenic fall ride for the 10th annual Bike the Barn Quilts on Sept. 24.

The event features non-competitive rides ranging from 17 to 70 miles showcasing many of Shawano County’s almost 400 barn quilts. A 22-mile guided tour is also available.

Registration fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch, maps, signed routes and food/water stations. Entry is $40 before Sept. 1, $45 during September and $50 for those who register the day of. There is an additional $5 fee for the guided tour ride.

Those who pre-register will get a limited edition tie-dye T-shirt or long sleeve jersey. Registration information and access can be found at www.shawanopathways.org.

Proceeds from this event will help support the purchase of user-activated lights at the Main Street intersection of the Mountain Bay Trail in Shawano.

Prior to Bike the Barn Quilts, Pathways is also holding a Barbecue and Bluegrass event from 6-9:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Koeller Century Farm W7950 Oak Ave., Shawano. The barbecue goes from 6-8 p.m. Burnt Toast and Jam will be performing, and there will also be a cash bar, raffles and displays.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the event, $10 for ages 6-12 and $5 for ages 5 and under. Advanced purchase is recommended; tickets are available at Glas Coffeehouse or Coldwell Banker in Shawano. For information, contact Nancy Brown-Koeller at info@koellercountryevents.com.

Pathways will also be holding a quilt raffle at Bike the Barn Quilts. Details can be found on its website.

For information, contact Matty Mathison at 715-304-9796.

Play offers perspective on dementia

The play “In the Garden,” which focuses on a family facing a crisis because of dementia, is part of a special resource fair and lunch scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 15 at Oconto Falls Peforming Arts Center, 210 N. Farm Road, Oconto Falls.

Another performance will take place at 5 p.m. the same day at Franklin Park, 235 S. Washington St., Shawano.

The live performance may be meaningful to the families of individuals living with dementia, professionals and the general public in our community, who would like to learn more about dementia, caregiving and the family dynamics involved when caregiving, said Mary Jo Ruleau, dementia care specialist with the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Wolf River Region.

The play, produced by The Remember Project from Minnesota, features a family – a recently deceased mother who was caring for her husband with apparent dementia and three adult children with varying personalities. Ruleau said the story is intended to garner conversation about how to support families, caregivers and individuals needing care so that the caregiving experience becomes a positive experience for all involved.

“Under normal circumstances, families do not often think to plan for the future of caregiving needs,” Ruleau said. “We do not sit down to Sunday dinner and discuss what happens if Mom or Dad develop dementia or other long-term illness which require support. We do not discuss who is going to carry out these caregiving duties or even how they will be paid for. Instead, we chat about the Packers or the Brewers and oftentimes, when someone needs care and support, there is no plan with adult children left wondering what to do next.”

Doors open for a resource fair, lunch and registration at noon, with the play scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

The free event is made possible by the funding from The Forget Me Not Fund, Shawano County Human Services, ADRC of the Wolf River Region and The Menominee Nation. A box lunch will be provided to all registered participants before the play, with a discussion, and questions answered following the performance.

Registration is available online through Event Brite at https://wolfriver-garden2022.eventbrite.com or by calling the ADRC of the Wolf River Region at 855-492-2372. For more information, visit the website for The Remember Project at https://rememberproject.org.

Historical society to hold class reunion

The Suring Area Historical Society is sponsoring the annual all class reunion Sept. 4 at Romy’s Holiday Inn at Kelly Lake, 9600 County Road G, Suring.

All interested are invited to join the society for an evening of socializing and good food. To register, send by Aug. 20 the registration fee of $30 to SAHS, P.O. Box 85, Suring, WI 54174. The cost of the dinner is $30 per person, tax and tip included. A sit-down dinner of chicken and tips will be served at 5 p.m.

For information, call Adelaide Boettcher at 920-842-2041 or Helen Heimerl at 920-842-2400.

The proceeds from the event will help sponsor the work that needs to be done at the Suring Museum. For those in town all weekend for the reunion, the museum will be open Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.