JW Brothers's video: Jehovah s Witnesses District Convention Brings Lots of People Into Rochester

http://www.jwbrothers.org - Jehovah's Witnesses District Convention Brings Lots of People Into Rochester. (ABC 6 NEWS) -- On Friday an extra 6,000 people flocked into Rochester as the city's largest convention of the year got underway. The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses are making Rochester their summer destination, and when they visit, businesses flourish. The secret behind this 25-plus year tradition of coming to Rochester may be because of the safety, comfort, and quality visitor's feel. Local businesses say they anticipate the more than 25,000 people who stay in the city over the next five weeks. After a long day of listening and learning about their faith, the convention-goers know exactly where they'd like to eat. "The Olive Garden seems to a popular one for a lot of people, but we try to just, uh, if we're in the mood for something we try that instead," says Bret Schwalbe from Owatonna. "City Cafe, tonight we'll be going to Chester's. You name it. We've gone to all the different restaurants. Michael's, Victoria's. We love'em all," says minister Chance Maddox. "We look forward to them every year," says Victoria's restaurant manager, Savuth San. "They're so nice and they always try to spread the word out too." She says she even knows what they like to order. "Lots of pasta. They all love the pasta and portion-ings because they can split it without being too full," says San. "The city is very clean, it's very accessible. Things are easy to get to," says Maddox. The Rochester Convention and Visitor's Bureau says the thousands of attendees will spend close to $7 million dollars in the city. "This is far and away Rochester's biggest convention group - has been for many years," says the bureau's executive director, Brad Jones. Convention officials, like Maddox, and attendees, like Schwalbe, say the city makes it easy for them to want to come back. "The Mayo Civic Center allows us to have a comfortable environment to learn, um, and be instructed in how to better carry on our ministry," says Maddox. "There is a lot of places to eat, accommodations...Rochester does a lot because I think they enjoy having the Witnesses here," says Schwalbe. "I love'em. They're here and they keep us very busy," says San. "I hope we can continue to come down here for many more years," says Maddox. This convention attracts Jehovah's Witnesses from all over the region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. But, organizers say it is open to the public if you wish to check it out. Copyright by KAALtv.com - http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S2674442.shtml?cat=10219