Despite the morning rain, more than 425 members and families traveled back in time at Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative’s first-ever Member Appreciation Day held at Sauder Village on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Attendees experienced more than 200 years of Ohio history at the event and were provided an entry ticket courtesy of Tricounty, along with “Sauder Bucks” accepted anywhere within the village complex.

“For being our first year having a Member Appreciation Day, we didn’t know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised with the turnout and member support,” said Tricounty REC CEO Brett Perkins. “We would like to thank our members for being so supportive this past year. A big thank you also goes to Sauder Village, who was an exceptional host for the event and was very accommodating to Tricounty members. It was a great day overall, and thankfully the weather cleared up for us.”

Only Tricounty REC members and immediate family were eligible for free entry to explore the Native American village, visit historic homes and community shops, watch craftsmen at work, and have a roaring good time at the new 1920s Main Street, complete with a theater, soda fountain, hardware store, bank, and more. Perkins believes main street was the favorite attraction of members.

“It was wonderful to see children and families enjoying the day and traveling back in time to learn about history,” Perkins said. “Seeing the kids’ faces light up at the soda fountain or trying to write with a quill was a memorable experience.”

This new event, targeted at families and in leu of the customary annual meeting, was intended as an opportunity for cooperative staff and the board of trustees to say thank you to members for their support and to answer any questions members may have about the cooperative. 

For comparison, the last traditional sit-down annual meeting the co-op held in 2019 before COVID-19 saw between 300-350 guests attend, with few children. With more than 100 new members in attendance and considerably more families, Tricounty REC is proud to call Member Appreciation Day a success. This year, nearly 50 children under five attended, and 60 more between ages 6-16.

The cooperative hopes this new annual event will allow members of all ages to gather together in the future.

Photos from the event will be available in Ohio Cooperative Living magazine. For more information, please call 419-256-7900. Details about Sauder Village can be found online at https://saudervillage.org/.