A Kingsville native will be pitching her business to investors on CBC's Dragons' Den TV show Wednesday night and there's a big viewing party scheduled in the town eager see her on the small screen.
Ruthy Penner and her husband Louis Philippe Lavoie, now both living in Kelowna, are behind Nooks Design which sells handmade clothing and soft-sole felted wool shoes for little ones.
Nearly 100 people are set to watch their pitch at the Kingsville Golf and Country Club on Wednesday night.
Kingsville's Ruthy Penner and her daughter (pictured) appear on an episode of CBC's television show Dragons' Den, which aired November 30, 2016. (Photo courtesy Nooks Design via Instagram)
Penner is flattered by the hometown support for her company which now employs a team of ten people.
"I think it's just going to be a great opportunity to celebrate something interesting that's happening that kind of sprouted from Kingsville," she says.
Ruthy's mother Cathie Penner, who is an area realtor, is proud to see the community come together to watch her daughter's efforts be rewarded.
"It's exciting as a community event that we're all gathering together to support local businesses, the importance of that and how that transforms dreams to putting food on your table," says Penner.
She says Ruthy had a strong network to rely on in Kingsville.
"We're just looking back on the years when she lived in Kingsville, all the people that were in her life at that time that she grew up with, who supported her and nurtured her and the result that is today," says Penner.
It seems the interests that began in Kingsville have paid off for Ruthy, as she describes a pretty relaxed visit to the Dragons' Den instead of the expected intensity the show portrays.
Booties created by Kingsville's Ruthy Penner and her company Nooks Design. (Photo courtesy Cathie Penner)
"In my mind, it wasn't really that dramatic," she says. "We just talked about the product, its benefits and what it did. The Dragons were really positive about it."
As far as making a deal with the big investors on the show, Ruthy isn't giving too much away. However, her mother is expecting good news.
"We're pretty excited about what's going to happen," says Cathie Penner. "It'll be kind of a reveal for everyone."
Ruthy will be watching with her friends and family at a downtown Kelowna restaurant and video chatting with her friends and family in Kingsville.
The show starts at 8pm.