Jeff Baldus

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Festival Director

Organization: Austin Area Foundation

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Watching the kids enjoy the game area and seeing families coming together and enjoying the day at the park with music and entertainment.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? It just brings that “community” look around and you will see families enjoying themselves and partaking in the events. Is there any other event in the city which brings more individuals together.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Standing at the end of South Main Street looking north and seeing thousands of people with umbrellas standing in the pouring rain watching the parade. Yes Austinites love a parade.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Corn Dog and “Culligan Water”

 

Chelsey Walerak

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Chamber Ambassador

Business: Holiday Inn and Austin Conference Center

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Fireworks two nights in a row!

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? Community unity and entertainment.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Dancing the night away at the Jaycees Street Dance

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Red, white, and blue popsicles.

 

Mike Delhanty

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Chamber Ambassador

Business: Hormel Foods

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Spending time with family

and friends.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? It brings the entire

community together to help celebrate the Fourth of July!

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Watching the parade and

fireworks with my nieces and nephews each year.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Any type of food on

the grill.

 

Lisa Dunlop

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Chamber Ambassador

Business: Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Listening to the Austin band while watching the fireworks.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? A sense of unity and pride in our country.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Walking in the parade last year with two of our grandsons.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? I have many favorites.

 

Jana Gray

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Board of Directors

Business: Austin Daily Herald

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Listening to all the musical entertainment at the bandshell.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? It brings a large group of people together to enjoy all sorts of events going on in Austin.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Watching the fireworks with friends and family.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? I don’t really have a favorite. I just love the variety of foods that they have.

 

Gail Dennison

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Executive board, past president

Business: The Hormel Institute

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? The parade and seeing everyone enjoy themselves

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? A great sense of community, patriotic celebration and summer-time fun!

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? The float The Hormel Institute had in the parade a few years ago. It had a giant beaker with bubbles and my niece Abbey Bauleke — then 6 years old — was our smiling, waving ambassador cancer survivor. Thank heavens Abbey is still healthy, thanks to cancer research and the progress achieved in childhood leukemia.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Watermelon.

 

Sharon Kaplan

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Selling raffle tickets and making the community aware that fireworks are available because of these purchased tickets.

Business: Mower County Shopper, account executive

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? The parade.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community?

Families and grown children, that have moved away, coming to Austin to celebrate their freedom.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Carrying the Perkins flag as an ambassador and having my family watching.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage?

Hot Dogs with everything on them.

 

Lauren Kasak

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Ambassador

Business: Jim’s MarketPlace Foods

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? The fireworks.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? Community involvement, through business, and pleasure.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Being a part of the Austin Catholic Schools float when I was in elementary school.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Hot Dogs and Coca Cola.

 

Jackie Bumgardner

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Chamber Ambassador

Business: Games People Play

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? It’s a toss-up between the parade and the fireworks.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? A sense of community pride. I love seeing all the people, young and old, enjoying the festivities.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Honestly my favorite memory is from years ago when our store used to have a float in the parade. We always had a basketball hoop attached to it and had people shooting baskets to win a free t-shirt. The years we walked the parade route in the rain are memorable too. And of course walking with the Ambassadors holding the huge American flag has always been a great time.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? I love the fresh Godfather’s and Papa Murphy’s pizza.

 

William Budion

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Ambassador Team Captain

Business: Austin Country Club

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Fireworks.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? Fun and celebration.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Walking in the parade.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Brats and beer.

Role with the chamber/Freedom Fest: Ambassador Team Captain

Business: Austin Country Club

What is your favorite part about Freedom Fest? Fireworks.

What does Freedom Fest bring to the community? Fun and celebration.

What’s your favorite memory from Freedom Fest? Walking in the parade.

What’s your favorite Fourth of July food or beverage? Brats and beer.