South Shore CVA Hosts Grand Finale at Indiana Welcome Center

Rube WinnerThe South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority hosted their 30 Stops in 30 Days grand finale celebration at the Indiana Welcome Center on Tuesday, July 30.

The day’s festivities began with the scheduled stop and last opportunity for visitors to enter to win the Family Express gift card prizes. At noon, members of the South Shore CVA’s Board of Directors, a representative from Family Express, industry professionals and guests gathered in the W.F. Wellman Exhibit Hall to watch as the South Shore CVA’s Rube Goldberg Machine ™ announced the winner, Nicole Hrapek of Crown Point, as the recipient of the $2,000 Family Express gift card grand prize.

Rube 30 Years Sign“Throughout July, and with a very generous sponsorship from Family Express, the South Shore CVA has been celebrating our 30th anniversary by making 30 Stops in 30 Days. At each stop, visitors had a chance at the $25 Family Express gift card and were entered to win the $2,000 Family Express gift card grand prize,” said Speros A. Batistatos, president and CEO of the South Shore CVA, as he welcomed guests. Batistatos explained what a Rube Goldberg Machine ™ is and how the South Shore CVA team incorporated the local tourism industry into the design before pushing the button the set the machine in motion.

A Rube Goldberg Machine ™ is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. Visitors who have been following the South Shore Tour Mobile as it made the 30 Stops in 30 Days received an entry into a contest for each stop they visited.

 

According to Batistatos, the South Shore CVA’s Rube Goldberg Machine ™ featured various scenes signifying the South Shore’s hospitality and tourism industry and the work the South Shore CVA has done in their 30 years of existence. Scenes included a craps table representing the local casinos, an airplane representing the South Shore Air Show and a water slide symbolizing the South Shore’s waterparks.

Also featured in the exhibit hall were the South Shore CVA’s 30 Faces of Tourism banners. During the month of July, The South Shore CVA announced 30 individuals who have highly impacted the hospitality and tourism industry along the South Shore. Due to exceptional hospitality professionals, the South Shore has become a destination for families, amateur sporting events and meetings.

logoImmediately following the Rube Goldberg Machine ™, the South Shore CVA hosted a picnic. Big Daddy’s BBQ, a popular and award-winning restaurant in Gary with a second location opening in Hammond, catered the event. The South Shore CVA recently announced an additional stop at the opening of Big Daddy’s BBQ in Hammond on Wednesday, July 31, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The new restaurant is located at 6823 Grand Ave in Hammond.

The 30 Stops in 30 Days campaign took the South Shore Tour Mobile throughout the South Shore, promoting attractions, festivals, businesses, restaurants and events during the South Shore CVA’s 30th anniversary celebration. Stops were made in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper Counties. For more information on the South Shore CVA, 30 Stops in 30 Days or the 30 Faces of Tourism, visit www.alongthesouthshore.com.

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