MADISON - So far, people across the state seem to think Door County Candle Co.'s Ukraine Candle is not just heartwarming but also cool.
The Sturgeon Bay-based candle maker's blue-and-yellow candle, launched in 2022 as a fundraiser for humanitarian relief efforts for people in Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia, was the top vote-getter among 130 nominees in the preliminary round of the 2024 “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" contest.
The Ukraine Candle thus becomes the No. 1 seed in the ninth annual online contest, sponsored by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and Johnson Financial Group. Next up is the first round of the contest, with head-to-head, bracket-style matchups for the top 16 vote-getters, with the top seed squaring off for the most votes against the 16th seed, the No. 2 seed going against the 15th seed, and so on.
That No. 16 seed that the Ukraine Candle is facing is military medals and insignia made by Medalcraft Mint of Green Bay. Voting in the first round opens at 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, and runs through 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 on the contest's website .
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It's the first time a Door County-made product was voted into the Top 16 in two years. The M/V Mark W. Barker, a 639-foot-long Great Lakes freighter built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, was the No. 5 seed in the 2022 contest and advanced past the Round of 16 into the Round of 8.
Door County Candle owner Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani, a second-generation, 100% Ukrainian-American, launched the Ukraine Candle fundraiser Feb. 26, 2022, two days after Russia launched its invasion of that country, to raise funds for humanitarian relief help for people in Ukraine.
Trapani said she expected to sell maybe 50 Ukraine Candles at first. But Door County Candle sold about 4,500 in the first week and more than 20,000 in the first three weeks, bolstered not just by local and regional media coverage in those first weeks but also national stories on ABC's "World News Tonight with David Muir" and "PBS NewsHour" as well as TV stations from Milwaukee and Chicago.
By the end of that first year, Ukraine Candle sales raised more than $700,000 for relief organization Razom for Ukraine, with the total surpassing $1 million over the past two years. Online orders have gone to all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Subsequent fundraising and benefit candles made by Door County Candle include a Tin Candles for Ukraine effort in November of 2022 that had people buy a tin candle to be sent to that country for use as light and heat in regions without power; candles to raise funds for relief efforts following Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria in 2023 and the wildfires that devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui in 2023; and a Candles Creating Change program to work with local nonprofit organizations on candles for fundraising efforts.
The goal of the contest is to highlight the state’s diverse manufacturing industry. Placing second in the preliminary voting behind Ukraine Candle was the customizable Dauntless evaporator for maple syrup makers from Smoky Lake Maple Products in Hilbert, followed by no-carb, no-sugar, no-calorie ready-to-drink cocktails by Carbliss in Plymouth, a safety-toe work boot by Thorogood in Merrill and The Works Burger Blend seasoning by PS Seasonings in Iron Ridge.
Other products to make the Top 16 include fishing rod holders, popcorn, Jolly Good Soda, paper products, a lawn tractor and dry shampoo.
Past Coolest Things include a Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine, a light tactical vehicle made by Oshkosh Corp., an electric fire engine from Pierce Manufacturing and Uncle Mike's Bake Shoppe's sea salt caramel pecan kringle. Last year's Coolest Thing was a bottleless smart water dispenser made by Plexus Corp. in Appleton.
The winner of each of the eight head-to-head matchups in this first round of online voting advances to the second round, aka the Round of 8. Those products then compete for votes from Oct. 3 to 8 to narrow the bracket to the top four, followed by the final round voting from Oct. 10 to 16 to determine the "Coolest Thing." The winner will be announced Oct. 17 during WMC's annual Business Day event in Madison. The public can cast one vote every day on any device.
To vote, visit madeinwis.com and click on the "Vote Now" button to see the contenders.
C ontact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County's Ukraine Candle is top seed in 'Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin' contest
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