The chance to gather at the ballpark on Aug. 28 to see the Arkansas Travelers take on the Corpus Christi Hooks, network with others and enjoy some great food proved to be the right mix of ingredients for the ARA of Arkansas’ first in-person event in more than a year.
“The ARA of Arkansas board wanted to ensure we offered an in-person event for those who wished to get out of the house for the evening for a breath of fresh air before summer ended. We couldn’t think of a better way to end the hot summer month of August than with a baseball game. The weather was perfect for a great evening of baseball and fun,” says Kerrigan Ambers, district sales manager of the Oklahoma/Arkansas district, United Rentals, Rogers, Ark., who serves as ARA of Arkansas president.
“We had a blast. We laughed, watched the game and enjoyed a great assortment of baseball food,” says Rachel Combs, digital marketing coordinator, Allen Engineering Corp., Paragould, Ark. “We thought it was really neat to have the opportunity to bring family and friends to the game. It was a time for us to get together and take advantage of the awesome opportunities that the ARA of Arkansas gave us.”
Attending her first ARA of Arkansas event brought back wonderful memories for Combs. “I am originally from Central Arkansas and used to go to the games throughout the summer when I was a kid. I brought my parents, sister and some friends. We had a great time. I have only been at Allen for a year, so it was nice to connect with some of my colleagues outside of the office,” she says.
Chuck Stone, owner, Construction Equipment Specialties, Fayetteville, Ark., who serves as ARA of Arkansas associate member director, also had a fun time.
“I wanted to support our Arkansas chapter, to meet and greet members and of course enjoy a baseball game. I love baseball. We had about 25 people attend. We all sat in the same section. I was able to talk with other rental operators as well as other manufacturers. Even though the Travelers didn’t win, we had a good time. You know, you win some and lose some,” he says.
Combs agrees. “Everyone had a good time even though they didn’t win. It was still fun,” she says.
After attending the game, Combs plans to go to more ARA of Arkansas events. “We will definitely be going next year and hope to attend other ARA of Arkansas events in the future. We hope to gather more Allen employees to join us next time. Our team here at Allen loves that kind of stuff,” she says.