Northern Berkshire Events Committee Seeks New Members
Committee members dig in to beautify neighborhoods.
The group was established in the midst of the pandemic by Jay Meczywor, Tyler Bissaillon, and Justin Duval to help people reconnect after periods of isolation and to foster a sense of community in Northern Berkshire County, said Jessica Girard, board chair.
"The whole purpose of the organization was to create events in Northern Berkshire County that enhance awareness of community businesses, fundraise for local endeavors, and promote entertainment ventures focused on young adults," she said.
"We also welcome everyone to come out to our events, whether they're under 18 or over 40, depending on what we're putting on for people."
Bringing people together is more important than ever, because we still see people not wanting to get out into the community, Girard said.
Since its inception, NBEC members have organized 23 events, including a golf tournament, a hay wagon bar crawl, community cleanups, Adams' monthly Coffee in the Court, a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Adams dog park, and more.
The Wagon Ramble Around Town event has become a community favorite, selling out last year within 10 minutes.
"Which was incredible, to sell 75 tickets in 10 minutes," Girard said.
The event will take place on Oct. 12 and tickets will go on sale starting Sept. 26 on NBEC's Facebook page.
"We collaborate with the Alibozek Farm in Adams. So, they bring their tractors out with the hay wagons, and it's got the fall vibes. We travel around to a bunch of different bars in Adams, and the bars are great," Girard said.
"They'll do snacks and games, just enough to get people out and have fun and it's a great afternoon right in the middle of Columbus Day weekend."
Many of the events have been in the Mother Town — the founders are Adams residents — but they are looking to branch out to other parts of Northern Berkshire, including North Adams and Williamstown.
"[Adams] just happens to be where a lot of small local businesses are that are ready to partner up with us," Girard said.
They have already started holding events in other North County locations including North Adams for its weekly Coffee in the Park.
One of its major goals is getting new board members so that the organization can provide more entertainment opportunities and get more perspectives to generate ideas, Girard said.
"Many people, many hands make light work, and many brains bring good ideas … We have 10 board members right now we would really like to reach 13," she said.
Board members participate in virtual monthly meetings lasting one hour, during which they brainstorm event ideas.
"We either work on it totally as a board, if it's a huge event and we need all hands on deck, or a couple people from the board might partner together if it's something small," Girard said.
Responsibilities include managing social media, creating content such as flyers and posters, and coordinating with event venues. Overall, the commitment is approximately two to three hours per month, she said.
"Everyone on the board brings a different perspective and a different skill that we need," Girard said.
Other board members include Crystal Adelt, John Duval, Taylor Gibeau, Veronica Whittle, Amanda Alibozek, Michaela DiNicola, and McKenna Burzimati.
NBEC is working on getting its name out to the community to determine what type of events residents are interested in.
"We want to do more events. We've tossed around like a silent disco, because that's not something that we see around here," Girard said.
"Usually, January is the time where we kind of sit down and plan out what we want to do for the year, to make sure that we're spreading our wealth in terms of the towns we're reaching, in terms of the groups we're reaching. So, that's a great time for people to join us too, or send ideas."
Those interested in becoming a board member or want to collaborate with the organization can email northernbec@gmail.com.
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