By Lexi MooreLast June the Exchange State Bank in Hills invited customers and community members to an appreciation picnic at the city park. The event was so successful the bank decided to make the customer appreciation picnic an annual event.Tuesday night the bank served hamburgers, brats, hotdogs, ice cream and all of the fixings to nearly 450 people at the Hills-Beaver Creek High School.The event was scheduled to take place at the Hills City Park, but event planners worried about the weather and changed the location.For several years the bank hosted customer appreciation picnics at their branches in Inwood and Larchwood. Bank personnel received such positive response from the customers that they decided to plan similar events for patrons in Hills and Ellsworth.Bank President Tim Plimpton wants residents to know that this is a "tradition we’re starting.""We want to thank each and every one of our customers for their patronage and invite community members to the park to learn about our services."In addition to food, there were door prizes for kids and adults, ice cream served by the Rock County Dairy Barn and a legion of clowns giving out balloon animals.Door prize winners were:oGirls Bike: Kourtney RozeboomoBoys Bike: Logan BoschoFire Pit: Cheryl Elbers