Tag: purple ribbon

Honoring a Special Olympics Coach

From brand exposure to product promotion, donations benefit our company in many ways. But the joy we get from them does not come from those benefits. It comes from knowing we have helped others in some way. Here at Coller Industries Incorporated, we take our responsibility to the community seriously. So, we are always looking for donation opportunities. Recently, we had the privilege of giving back to our local community here in Salt Lake County, Utah. Give a big cheer to our latest donation recipient: The Panthers Special Olympics Utah Team.

Examples of Coller Industries Incorporated products, including name tags, badge holder, name plate, award plaque, lanyard and rosette ribbon.

A Special Olympics team pays tribute to their coach a month after her passing.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Vertical Graphic Ribbons

A purple ribbon with a vertical orientation, imprinted with gold text and a heart graphic used for special olympics.

Made of quality satin, Vertical Graphic Ribbons are a popular choice for fundraisers, conventions and trade shows. While they are often used to promote products, services or sales, graphic ribbons can serve almost any purpose. And, they let you add a graphic or logo to go with your text. Customize the size, font, imprint and material colors to make these ribbons right for you. With different fastener options available, attach the ribbons to a piece of clothing or wear them with a name tag.

We donated 500 Vertical Graphic Ribbons to help the Panthers pay tribute to their former coach, Agnes Marino. A long time volunteer, she passed away September 17, 2019. Keith Tondro, an Assistant Equipment Manager for Special Olympics, spoke highly of Marino. “She gave many years of service and has been an icon for Special Olympics. These ribbons will be worn by the athletes as they compete in the Fall Sports Classic on October 18 and 19, 2019 in golf, bocce and soccer.”

The athletes wore purple badge ribbons to honor their coach as they competed in different locations in Salt Lake City, Utah. The ribbons included a heart with the name of their team and former coach. With the memory of Marino in their hearts, they played bocce ball at Northwest Middle School, golf at Rose Park Golf Course and soccer at Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex. They did Marino proud by placing third in soccer, even while playing in stormy weather. Tondro said, “The Panthers fought hard and played well.”

  • Purple custom graphic badge ribbons for Special Olympics Utah Panthers Team
  • Darrell Tondro wearing a purple custom badge ribbon.
Tondro, whose son, Darrell Tondro, is on the Panthers team, describes how Special Olympics benefits people with disabilities.

“Developing skills, building self-esteem and having fun, all while participating in year-round sports training and competition, is the life of a Special Olympics Utah athlete. Whatever their skill level, with eight sports to choose from, plus the Motor Activities Training Program (MATP), Special Olympics Utah has something for every person with an intellectual disability.”

No matter what product we donate, it is always a privilege to support organizations like Special Olympics. And this time, we got to help pay tribute to a woman who, like us, wanted to give back to the community. For us, giving back through donations is a way of saying thank you to those who make our company successful. After all, where would we be without the people in this community, our customers. So, thank you Special Olympics Utah for letting us serve you and your remarkable athletes. Go Panthers!

The Panthers Special Olympics Utah Team honor a former coach by wearing custom badge ribbons during their Fall Sports Classic in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 18 and 19, 2019.

Best of Show: Festivals and Fairs

State festivals and county fairs have two things in common: the elusive best of show and award ribbons.

From incredible horse shows, food demonstrations and live music to fried food, butter sculptures and roller coasters, festivals and fairs can be an incredible experience. And, don’t forget the best part: those best of show ribbons! But, before we get into our favorite topic of ribbons, let’s talk about the difference between a festival and a fair.

a festival and a fair both have something in common: best of show award ribbons

FESTIVAL vs. FAIR

Briefly, a festival is a gathering of people to celebrate something, historically religious holidays (feast days), but now also secular ones, e.g., Kwanzaa, or the Burning Man, initially held to celebrate the summer solstice. Mardi Gras is a famous New Orleans festival, a religious one celebrated more quietly in other areas.

A fair is a gathering of vendors or tradespeople for the entertainment, commerce or other purpose. There are job fairs (hardly a festival), book fairs, farm shows (also called fairs) where people show their prized livestock or farm products for the entertainment (and often sales for charity) of both fellow farmers and non-farmers alike, county fairs (mostly just summer entertainment), etc.

So, now that we know the difference between a festival and a fair, we can focus on more important things. Things like how to win your Best of Show ribbon!

While we don’t have specifics, especially when it comes to things other than ribbons themselves, on what the best looking cow is or if you have the best tasting chili, we do have a little bit of advice. No matter your location, from Texas to Minnesota, the best thing you can do to win that coveted prize ribbon is to try your hardest. Work on your craft and put the required time in to make sure you know what you’re doing.

Here at Coller Industries, that’s exactly what we do with our custom ribbons (and every personalized product we sell). We have been working on our craft for nearly 25 years, and are top in our trade. So, while we can’t really award ourselves with Best of Show ribbons (judges consider that cheating), we might just try.

But, don’t take our word for it!

Jeff Halbach, a poultry judge at last year’s Minnesota state fair, said, “The birds that end up on champion row usually are sound in body, correct and bright in color, have been cleaned and prepared for showing by their owners. And, finally, they have that winning personality.”

Emily Griffiths, also a judge (beef cattle) at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair, said, “I have always believed that beef heifer shows are very comparable to a beauty pageant in that it is about combining desirable female traits in a well-presented form with poise and style. You want an amount of body and muscle that is proportional and well suited to the animal’s frame with excellent structure. What separates an ordinary cow in the pasture from a champion at the state fair are those heifers with an extra amount of class, style, and grace. Those characteristics are not just limited to people—cattle can have those, too!”

Okay, on to those elusive Best of Show ribbons!

best of show stock rosette ribbon from Personalized Ribbons

Rosette ribbons are seen everywhere at a fair. From giant pumpkins to those cute baby piglets, they are the classic touch at your local state or county fair. There are plenty of titles and stock ribbons from which to choose or make custom fair ribbons. They can have any award or honor imprinted to meet all of your needs.

From county fairs to holiday festivals, personalized ribbons are sure to bring home the Best of Show! And, no matter your ribbon choice, we have something to meet all of your festival and fair needs. Whether it’s a pie eating contest or a 4-H event, ribbon rolls are sure to amaze with the right customization. Rosette ribbons are available as stock titles (yes, Best of Show included) or customize your own. They are a great way to make sure all winners are recognized for any achievement.

But, enough about us, what about you? Are you planning on taking home Best of Show this year? Will it be your prized pig or your mom’s best blueberry pie?