Schell pops for its sweepstakes winner
JOANNE OLSON and Rich Hufnagle of Minneapolis arrived via Greyhound bus Friday night for a weekend in New Ulm on Schell’s Brewery. Ms. Olson won the contest by the brewery for a night in New Ulm.
BELOW: A STROLL through Schell’s Park at 30 below on Saturday morning was on the agenda for the couple accompanied by Warren Marti, left, and brewmaster Sig Lingelbach.
JOANNE OLSON and Rich Hufnagle of Minneapolis arrived via Greyhound bus Friday night for a weekend in New Ulm on Schell’s Brewery. Ms. Olson won the contest by the brewery for a night in New Ulm.
BELOW: A STROLL through Schell’s Park at 30 below on Saturday morning was on the agenda for the couple accompanied by Warren Marti, left, and brewmaster Sig Lingelbach.
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Everybody has probably heard the Schell's Beer radio commercials on the local station, but a contest was held by the local suds factory in Minneapolis that went almost un-noticed in New Ulm.
That was the Schell's Really Big Prize Sweepstakes run this fall on Twin City radio stations and the University of Minnesota newspaper.
This weekend Joanne Olson, 18, Minneapolis, and her 23-year old date, Rich Hufnagle, of Minneapolis were in New Ulm as winners of the contest.
Their name was drawn from nearly 1,000 entrants at a '50's dance at the Marigold Ballroom in Minneapolis in November.
Actually it was Ms. Olson who won the contest, but Rich had sent in both their names on separate postcards after hearing the commercial on KDWB radio during a party.
"Actually I thought it would be a put-on," Rich said, "But after meeting the Marti's (Warren and Casey) at the dance I knew it was for real."
And real it was. Posters advertised a weekend in New Ulm with a room at the Grand Hotel, a tour of the brewery and a 10 course dinner of which six courses were bottles of Schell's.
Joanne wanted the weekend exactly as the poster said so they arrived via Greyhound bus Friday night and enjoyed a Kaiserhoff dinner although it wasn't the 10 course as advertised.
The Grand Hotel was ready for its Minneapolis guests and even owner Don Dannheim was on hand to greet them Saturday morning.
Sig Lingelbach, brewmaster, and Warren Marti, president, gave the couple a VIP tour of the brewery Saturday and then took them on a tour of New Ulm.
Friday night was a tour of nightlife in New Ulm including Turner Hall, Office and Huckey's Hideaway.
It is the first trip to New Ulm for the couple although they both are originally from towns much smaller than New Ulm.
Joanne is from Big Falls and Rich is from Blackduck. He is now a business senior at the University of Minnesota.
Dick Crouser, the man who does the Schell's commercials, was at the dance in Minneapolis and did the actual drawing.
"He is really a spectacular person," Rich said and was a hit at the dance along with Schell's Hobo Band and another rock band.
The trip to New Ulm was short for Joanne and Rich. As advertised a Greyhound bus took them back to Minneapolis Saturday night.
But they were impressed with New Ulm and efforts are being made to get the first Schell people back for Musikantenfest next summer.
New Ulm Daily News,
Jan. 13, 1974