National
Clothesline
WFI to convene at Great Wolf Lodge
The Wisconsin
Fabricare Institute’s annual
convention this Sept. 15-17 aims to be both an educational and
fun weekend for cleaners. This year, the event will be held at
the Great Wolf Lodge, located at 1400 Great Wolf Drive in
Wisconsin Dells.
WFI has planned several informative
seminars designed to help cleaners improve their businesses.
On Saturday, the association will offer
programs on “Affordable Health Insurance” and
“Who Will Buy Your Business When You Are Ready to
Sell?”
On the following day, WFI will enlist the
help of an expert panel to discuss “Problem
Garments,” including trims and buttons, fabrics and
labeling, chemicals and dyes, and customer service. Attendees
are encouraged to bring along their own problem garments for
the session.
Also on Sunday, WFI will host a general
membership meeting which will provide a brief update on the
status of the state’s Dry Cleaner Environmental Response
Fund.
The association will also hold a meeting
for its board of directors on Friday, Sept. 15. That same
evening, there will be a sports-themed dinner with an
all-American buffet and a cash bar. Those who attend should
dress in their favorite sports attire.
On Saturday night, attendees can bring
their sombreros and panchos and enjoy a fiesta
south-of-the-border dinner with a Mexican buffet.
The Great Wolf Lodge is a year-round
resort that captures the atmosphere of the northwoods in a
comfortable setting. It offers 437 family-sized suites and a
100,000 square-foot indoor waterpark with 19 waterslides, six
pools and a four-story treehouse waterfort. The
state-of-the-art facility utilizes nearly 300,000 gallons of
water altogether.
Attendees at the WFI convention can take
advantage of discounted room rates of $99 for Friday evening
and $129 for Saturday evening for double queen suites. To make
reservations, simply call (800) 559-9635, then say you are
affiliated with WFI and provide them with group code SA61CS.
The cut-off date for discounted rooms is
Aug. 15, but WFI recommends calling as early as possible as
rooms will likely run out. Up to four waterpark passes are
included with the reservation.
As an added relaxation option, WFI will
host a golf outing at Reedsburg Country Club on Saturday, Sept.
16. The cost to play is $60 per golfer, which includes 18
holes, a cart, lunch and prizes.
Full registration packages are available
for members at a discounted rate of $145 per person. That cost
includes admission to everything but the golf outing. The same
package for spouses costs $120 each.
That early discount rate will go up $25
for those who register after Sept. 7.
Cleaners may also purchase individual
registration packages, as well. To sign up for Saturday’s
breakfast, breaks and business sessions only costs $35. That
fee also applies to those who just sign up for Sunday’s
breakfast, breaks and business sessions.
For more information, call WFI, (414)
529-4707.
Cleaner helps women ‘Dress for
Success’
Classic Cleaners of Indiana announced
that it will be supporting Dress for Success Indianapolis again
this year. During August, the company will donate $2 for every
retail drop-off or home pickup and delivery drycleaning order
of $20 or more.
Last year, Classic raised more than
$10,000 for the program, which provides interview appropriate
clothing for women who are trying to enter the workforce.
“We’re hoping, with a little
public awareness push, we can exceed last year’s donation
to Dress for Success,” said Classic Cleaners co-owner
Carl Arnold. “Anyone who’s interested in empowering
women in our community to enter the workforce should
participate in the campaign by simply dropping off drycleaning
at one of 15 retail stores.”
Dress for Success Indianapolis expects to
aid more than 800 women with its “Suits for
Success” program this year and hopes that number will
increase to 1,000 women for 2007.
Classic Cleaners will announce its final
donation total during the 2006 DFSI annual fund-raising dinner
on Sept. 7.
The drycleaning chain has been in
business for 20 years in central Indiana and is one of the
largest cleaning establishments in the state with three
production sites, 15 stores and 11 delivery routes. For more
information, visit www.classiccleaners.net.