Tri-County conducts annual fund raiser at Valley Hub
Pub Date: 8/1/2008
By Cole Boehler
The Tri-County Tavern Association (Broadwater, Lewis and Clark and Jefferson Counties) always conducts its annual fund-raiser dinner in July and there is an apparent reason: the weather.
Perfect weather almost invariably characterizes this function, enabling the group to conduct a dinner, with all its associated activities, outdoors for a casual backyard barbecue feel a barbecue with several hundred of your best friends, succulent beef entrees, all the fixin's and plenty of ice-cold beer and well mixed cocktails.
The July 9 Tri-County dinner was conducted at the Valley Hub, a good sized saloon out on the northern fringe of Helena along Montana Street. While navigating through the establishment's spacious interior, it is plain entertainment is the name of the game as there are plenty of pool tables, darts boards and gaming machines, most of them in use.
But the real surprise awaits those who exit the building at the rear. Outside is a beautiful beer garden with perfectly groomed lawns between horseshoe pits, concrete pads for tables and chairs, big shaded pavilions and umbrellas, a four-sided bar, a performance stage and more.
This facility would be ideal for any event or occasion where several hundred people needed to be accommodated in perfect outdoor comfort. Tri-County made a good decision when they selected this venue.
There was much hand shaking and several good hugs as we roamed the crowd, striking up conversations that sometimes had a business theme, more often purely BS for the sake of sharpening the wits, trading quips and gossip.
Montana Tavern Association President, and past president of the Tri-County group, Dennis White, owner of Dapper D's, emceed the event. He must have been a disc jockey in another life because he has a dapper, well-honed patter, using every opportunity to give gracious plugs to the many member businesses and event and prize sponsors. No one was left out.
Dennis was ably assisted in the many drawings for merchandise and cash prizes that were conducted with great regularity throughout the evening by Steve Morris of Jorgenson's and Orville Johnson of the Yacht Basin.
There were $500 give-a-aways, numerous $50 prizes, a digital camera and printer outfit, a big flat-screen TV, fancy beverage coolers, a stereo system and many other cool premiums.
But most were focused on the drawing for seats at the head table where lucky guests would win a minimum of $200 and up to $2,000!
Ten names are drawn from dinner ticket purchasers and the 11th is earned via a separate raffle. This writer's $20 worth of raffle tickets earned nothing, alas. But a raffle ticket earned Dax Cetraro the last seat and later some significant jingle.
Taking seats at the table were, in order, Ethel Peterson of the Wilderness Bat in Lincoln, Tammy Laib of the host Valley Hub in Helena, Kevin DeTienne of the Money Train in Helena, Renna Stroh of Nickel's Gaming in Helena (who was there with boss Bob Gilbert as part of a large employee posse), Dave Paul of Gusto Distributing of Helena, Alicia Davis of the Lucky Lil's in Townsend, Rick O'Connel of Smith's Bar in East Helena, Executive Director of the Gaming Industry Association Neil Peterson, East Helena Liquor and, finally, Dax Cetraro.
Eight were eliminated eventually leaving just three to pocket prizes of $400, $800 or $2,000.
Stroh went out but left holding the $400 for third place, then it was down to Peterson and Cetraro. (Drum roll, please...) It was Cetraro's name that was called next, earning him the $800 for second place and delighting Peterson as she collected her two Gs.
It was a night of fun and frivolity that raised a decent sum for the Tri-County Tavern Association to fund their various activities. This reporter went directly to bed afterward, but it can be assumed others used the opportunity to explore the many fine pubs in the state's capital city.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, August, 2008, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.