U4, 5 years of Bazaar Attendance

SYRACUSE, Indiana – December 15, 2007 – December is a busy month. U4 has started December for the last 5 years with the Craft Bazaar at the Middle School, put on by the PTO. It is one of the largest one day Craft Bazaars in the State of Indiana.

“Everyone thought the U4 Booth was the information Booth. I would smile and pointed to the booth kitty corner from ours,” said Rich Hays, Marketing Director for U4. “I am always impressed with the talent on display and the creativeness of everyone involved.” Hays continued, “You have to give the PTO a big hand, they do an incredible job of putting together the Craft Bazaar.”

Ben Plikerd the CEO of U4 has volunteered to handle the music and has not missed the Craft Bazaar since its inception, 15 years ago. “I started as a High School Senior running the music and have been doing it ever since,” said Ben Plikerd. “I started with two cassette decks and a mixing board, now I use an IPod and all the music is programmed ahead of time. It has become much easier.”

U4 Elongated Coin Requested Nationwide

SYRACUSE, Indiana - December 4, 2007 - U4 made an Elongated Coin (EC) for the Elkhart Fair. You can see it here.

It takes 22 tons of pressure to imprint the design of the U4 Logo, dotted border and text within the border. A detailed description of the design is a horizontal elongated coin with text in the dotted border centered above the U4 logo saying “www.whatisu4.com” and centered below the U4 logo is “All Service, One Company, One Bill”. The elongated coin is about one and a half inches wide and three quarters of an inch high.

Rich Hays, the Marketing Director for U4 collects and sells EC. He submitted a note to TEC News, the newsletter for The Elongated Collector www.tecnews.org, that said anyone could get a free EC by sending a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to “Smash Me A U4EC”, PO Box 514, North Webster IN 46555.

“The letters started to flood the PO Box!!” said Hays. He continued, “We have received requests from Maine to California. It has been really fun sharing this with everyone.”

At the 1894 World Fair, the first EC were introduced. Now they are collected by people all over the world. You most likely have seen these coins before. They are produced in a machine where you put in 50 cents and a penny and you get the penny back smashed.

The machine will be placed at the U4 Store, 200 E Pickwick Dr, Syracuse, IN 46567 after the 1st of the year. Bring your own pennies and roll your own U4EC at the U4 Store. Store hours are Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm.

Ben Plikerd Honored as Paul Harris Fellow

SYRACUSE, Indiana – November 29, 2007 – The Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Club celebrated its 60th anniversary with a dinner at Quaker Haven Camp, November 1st 2007 and Ben Plikerd was honored with Paul Harris Fellowship. This recognition goes to those who live a life their fellow Rotarians believe exemplifies the quality of generosity by helping people in need at home and around the world and contributing to world peace and understanding.

Paul Harris Fellow recognition was created in memory of Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary as a way to show appreciation for contributions to the Foundation's charitable and educational program. A Paul Harris Fellow is an individual who contributes $1,000 or in whose name that amount is contributed. Every Paul Harris Fellow receives a pin, medallion and a certificate when he or she becomes a Fellow. It has been a practice of many clubs to award Paul Harris Fellowship to select members in appreciation of their service to the club.

Also honored at the dinner were Dan Van Lue and Tom Jackson.