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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Over 80 new residents attended the Welcome Event held Monday, July 21, at the Dacotah Pavilion in Chautauqua Park. People new to Valley City and Barnes County area have come from a host of places…as  close as Wimbledon to as far away as Africa.

At the event the new residents were able to meet over 100 Valley City-Barnes County residents representing key organizations.  They were able to ask questions such as how to register my child for school  or what’s a fun organization to join to meet new people.

Over 40 prizes were given away including many gift certificates to many area businesses, plus two 32 inch flat screen TVs donated by BEC.

With unemployment in our area down to under 3% many new people have been moving to Valley City and Barnes County.  The event was held to welcome them and help them meet some long time residents and learn about our community.

The event was initiated by the City County Health District via a ND League of Cities grant.  Other partners included the  Valley City-Barnes County Development Corporation,  VCSU, Mercy Hospital, NDSU Extension Barnes County, and What in the World Is Going On.    

The sponsoring partners would like to heartily thank everyone who participated in the event, from the many businesses who promoted the event with their new employees, to those who donated prizes, to those who came to the event to share information and welcome the new people in person.   

“It was a wonderful event, and I met so many new residents,” stated Susan Milender, Barnes County Extension Agent, one of the sponsoring partners.  “We hope to do the event again in a couple of years”, noted Sharon Buhr, chair of the event.