Below you will find information about the team of people that helped to put together the Strassenfest this year.
2020 Committee
| Chairperson | Bob Bleemel |
| Chamber Executive Director | Nancy Eckerle |
| Chamber Secretary | Janet Beckman |
| Deutscherverein Representative | Paul Siegel |
| Marketing Coordinator & Open Ceremonies | Kelsey Merkel |
| Sponsorships | Patrick Norris |
| Event Coordinator | Kami Knies |
| Booth Coordinator | Corie Eckerle |
| Construction/Logistics Coordinator | Mike Ackerman |
| Entertainment | Heath Kluemper Anna Grant |
| Social Media Coordinator & Book Design | Shelby Gidley |
| Pageant Coordinator | Jasmine Bosler |
| Miss Strassenfest Coordinator | Mallory Humbert |
| Jr. Miss Strassenfest Coordinator | Brooklyn Schnarr |
| Little Miss/Mr. Strassenfest Coordinator | Jade Marinin |
| Special Projects | Gary Schnell |
| German Heritage Coordinator | Laura Grammer |
| Half-Pot Coordinator | Kim Lottes |
2020 Host & Hostess
The Jasper German Club President and their spouse serve as the Host & Hostess of the Strassenfest each year.
Van & Nancy Ziegler
2020 Hofmarschall
2020 Hofmarschall – Dan Fritch
Welcome to Strassenfest 2020! This year’s theme celebrates the 50th anniversary of Vincennes University Jasper (VUJ), an institution I was proud to attend and even more honored to continue to support today.
It’s hard to believe how far VUJ has come since the early days. As a student in the 1980s, some of my classes were held in temporary trailers. I received my associate’s degree in business with distinction from VUJ in 1982, and will always be appreciative of my time there.
Today, there are no more trailers. They have added the Ruxer Student Center with the Bistro dining room, gymnasium and the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame. The Habig Building supports the Academic Center of Excellence, Admissions Office and science labs. The Campus Classroom Building houses the nursing skills lab, high-tech anatomy specimen, virtual hospital simulation lab and virtual ambulance simulator. The campus now boasts the state-of-the-art Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing (CTIM), a 52,000-square-foot building that’s a center of learning for thousands of members of Jasper and the surrounding communities, from middle school, high school and VUJ students to government and corporate partners.
CTIM is helping Jasper close the talent gap, especially in the fast-changing world of manufacturing. Students who take classes at CTIM learn highly valuable skills in robotics, electronics and computing, often working directly with local manufacturing companies.
CTIM was made possible by people like you – residents who care about higher education and want to create a better future for the next generation. As president of the VUJ Foundation board, I was directly involved in raising funds to help provide needed equipment for CTIM, and witnessed firsthand our community’s commitment to our future.
And this year, Strassenfest is doing even more to celebrate Jasper’s dedication to higher education. For the first time, the festival is selling tickets to a “half-pot drawing” with a minimum payout of $5,000 to the winner. Part of the proceeds will go to support the VUJ Foundation’s Dubois County Scholastic Excellence Award Scholarships which will provide full tuition for several VUJ students.
If you haven’t bought your ticket, get one now – there’ll be more for you to win, and more in scholarship money for VUJ students.
As a lifelong Jasper resident, I’m grateful for the opportunity to be this year’s Hoffmarschall, especially in a year that celebrates our city’s longtime support for higher education. Enjoy this year’s Strassenfest!
Dan Fritch, 2020 Hoffmarschall
COO of Matrix Integration
VUJ Graduate and President of the VUJ Foundation Board of Directors
The Jasper Strassenfest Committee is proud to honor Dan Frith as Hofmarschall of the 42nd Annual Jasper Strassenfest.
