Wilmot is located in the Northeast corner of South Dakota in Roberts County. A quiet little community of 500 people along SD Hwy 15. We are just 8 miles from Big Stone Lake and 7 miles from I-29 on the west of us. Wilmot was established in 1881 and celebrated their 125th Anniversary.
A Great Place to Live and Raise a Family!
4th annual Winter Wonderland Weekend planned February 3 - 5
Several activities will be switched around for the 4th annual Winter Wonderland Weekend in Wilmot set for February 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
Some of the changes include moving the fundraising evening meal from Saturday night to Friday evening and including it with a speaker and auction items. The Friday evening dinner will feature Yvette VanDerBrink, author of "My Mom Looks Like a Turtle." The evening meal of pork loin, baked potato, vegie and dessert will begin at 6 pm with VanDerBrink speaking at 7 pm followed by a book signing.
The Chili Cook-off competition will move to the evening slot on Saturday from 5 to 6:30 pm after the day time Arts, Crafts & Vendor Show.
Bingo will not be held during the Winter Wonderland Weekend as the club is working to host a monthly bingo night beginning January 23rd.
The annual duct tape contest will be held with entries registered by 5 pm on Friday evening, Feb 3 for display. Judging will take place on Saturday morning from 10 am to Noon along with voting in the Snow/Ice Sculpture Contest. Anything imaginable can be made with duct tape and entered in this competition. All ages are welcome. Winning divisions are for the Most Creative, Most Practical, or Best Overall. Entries must be at the Community Center by 5 pm Friday evening to compete in the Saturday morning public judging.
Beginning on Sunday, January 22nd, snow or ice sculptures can be created in the entries yards but must be visible from the street for viewing on the morning of Feb 4th. Participants can register individually or in teams to compete in three divisions: Most Creative, Largest Sculpture, and Best Overall. Painting the sculpture is permissible. Public voting will be held on Saturday morning from 10 am to noon at the Wilmot Community Center.
The Vintage Snowmobile Show will move to Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 pm near the Community Center. Classic and antique snowmobile owners can ride or haul their vintage snowmobiles to display. There is no registration fee. Snowmobiles can be running or not. To register, contact Scott Bassett at 938-4707.
Plans are to hold the Ice Golf contest once again depending on ice conditions. The golfing competition will move to the morning slot from 10 am to Noon. More details will be available the week of Winter Wonderland Weekend.
Art projects from the Wilmot High School art department will once again be on display at the Wilmot Community Center Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday. This has been a favorite of the weekend event allowing local talented youth to display their works.
The arts, crafts, and vendor show runs from 9 am to 3 pm at the Community Center. Several vendors have already signed up to display their wares. To participate in the show, contact Kim Argo at Main Attraction Salon, 938-4250.
Local talent will take the stage on Saturday evening for the annual fun filled community program beginning at 8 pm. This year's variety program will feature the well-known "Blue Collar Comedy" team of Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, Ron White (aka Bob Sorenson, Gerald Swayze, Jesse Cameron and Ray Christensen).
The Winter Wonderland Weekend is sponsored by the Wilmot Community Club to provide some fun relieve from the wintertime doldrums. Watch for more information to be release soon or contact Cheryl Rondeau at crondeau@tnics.com or 605-938-4707.
Yvette VanDerBrink, author of the children's book "My Mom Looks Like a Turtle" will speak at the Wilmot Community Club fundraising dinner set for 6 pm Friday, February 3, 2012. The dinner will be held at the Wilmot Community Center as part of the annual Winter Wonderland Weekend in Wilmot activities February 3rd - 5th.
It was a typical day when Yvette was getting ready for work with her auction company, VanDerBrink Auctions, when she discovered a lump in her right breast. That lump started a whirlwind of doctor appointments, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2007. Faith, determination, humor, and a fabulous support system helped her through surgeries, weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.
Yvette used those personal experiences for the book. With children of her own, she felt there was a need for a kid-friendly way to talk about breast cancer.
"Cancer is such a trying time for any family," she said, "there are so many emotions, and decisions. It not only affects the patient but everyone around them."
Her book is a tool for families, medical personnel, and teachers to address those fears about cancer. It takes you on the journey, from the eyes of a child, through breast cancer and her Mom's treatment. It uses humor to help parents and caregivers have that conversation with children about cancer, and make it easier for them to understand. Illustrations for the book were made by her daughter Emily.
Yvette has also written and published many short stories in magazines and newspapers about growing up on the farm and being a woman auctioneer. Her articles are written under the pen name The Lil' Nordstrom Gal. She also does radio commercials for the family business Nordstrom's Auto Recyclers of rural Garretson, SD under the name.
Yvette grew up in the automotive business and on the family farm west of Garretson, SD. Her father, Art Nordstrom, is a collector and motorhead himself. Every weekend growing up was full of racing. Cars became a natural part of life and the lessons and work ethic of a dairy farm became valuable tools used in her work today.
With this background, and after an unusually enlightening experience, Yvette formed the company VanDerBrink Auctions in 2001 becoming the owner/auctioneer. With her experience, the farm land and real estate Auction Company evolved to specialize in collector car parts auctions, older salvage yard liquidations, auto related items, antique tractors, estate and private collections of all kinds. They have been regionally and nationally recognized for their auctions and conducted collector car auctions in eight states.
Yvette lives on a farm at Hardwick MN in Southwest Minnesota with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Emily and Johnathon. She completed treatments October 14, 2008 and wrote "My Mom Looks Like a Turtle" with the hopes of helping others. A portion of the proceeds from this book are donated to help women with cancer.
The 6 pm fundraising dinner including pork loin, baked potato, vegetable and dessert cost $12.00 in advance or $15.00 at the door. Yvette is schedule to speak at 7 pm with a book signing following.
Plans are for auction items to be available for Yvette to display her auctioneering talents following her talk and prior to the book signing.
Tickets for the dinner are now on sale in Wilmot at Main Attractions, Wilmot Enterprise, First State Bank, Jurgens' Oil, and The Cafe; by calling Cheryl Rondeau at 938-4707; or mail a check (to be received prior to January 24th) to Wilmot Community Club, PO Box 185, Wilmot, SD 57279.
Donnie Backman, Kenny Quade and the Other Guys are featured band for Saturday night Whetstone Jamboree
A group of area musicians will combine their talents as the featured band for the Saturday night, January 14th Whetstone Jamboree in Wilmot, SD. Donnie Backman, Kenny Quade and the Other Guys are local favorites who have playing in bands and in the area for many years.
Larry Tietjen and Wayne Quade make up part of the "other guys." Kim Folk has also agreed to attend this first Whetstone Jamboree of 2012 adding her great musical talent to the show.
Area musicians are invited to participate in the musical festival with a vocal arrangement or joining in with an instrument of their choice. Performers at previous jamborees have added vocals, guitar, accordion, fiddle, harmonica, and a variety of instruments with the featured band as backup.
In years past, young talent has found the jamboree a great way to "get their feet wet" by performing with a live band to improve their skills and expand their musical abilities. No karaoke music is allowed providing a new experience in performing. Young musical talent in the area is encouraged to participate in the jamborees for this reason and to share their talents as well.
Music varies depending on each featured group but favorite county, western, cross-over, and blues have been the general selections for the shows with a wide variety of classic hits from the past and the present.
The Whetstone Jamboree will be held at 7 pm at the Wilmot Community Center on Main Street in Wilmot, SD. Admission is $4.00 per person.
The event is sponsored by the Wilmot Community Club as a fund raising activity for their community projects. For more information, musicians can contact Cheryl Rondeau at 605-938-4707 or crondeau@tnics.com.
