(PRESS RELEASE) The Eastern Sierra Tri County Fair is launching a new program with the purpose of garnering sustainable support for the Fair and the many events it hosts throughout the year. The “Friends of the Fair” is an annual, tax-deductible membership that provides financial support and hopefully an extended volunteer pool to benefit the fairgrounds. “Many fairgrounds across the state have launched similar programs with great success in order to counteract the loss of funding from the State,” says new Fair CEO Sally Symons.
Individuals and businesses can join the Friends of the Fair program at five different levels of financial support in exchange for increasing levels of benefits to the “Friend”. Those levels are described as follows:
Blue Ribbon: e-newsletter, one adult 4 day pass $50.00
Class Winner: e-newsletter, 2 adult 4 day passes $100.00
Grand Champion: mention in e-newsletter, 2 adult 4 day passes, $250.00
2 FOF dinner tickets
Best of Show: mention in e-newsletter, 2 adult super passes $500.00
2 FOF dinner tickets
Sweepstakes: ad in e-newsletter, 2 adult super passes, 2 FOF dinner tickets, $750.00 +
2 Oktoberfest tickets, plus annual display window or sponsor banner on the Fairgrounds
The newsletter will be distributed quarterly via email and will include a calendar of events, volunteer features and spotlights on special projects and events. There will be an annual Friends of the Fair dinner held in February or March. “The plan is for the dinner to be a special occasion, catered, no-host bar, with entertainment, raffles and silent auction,” states Symons. Tickets will be made available to the public as well as being complimentary to specific levels of the Friends program. Also, an Oktoberfest style event will be held in the Fall to honor fair volunteers, dignitaries and big winners. Tickets for this event will also be available for sale to the public.
“We have many improvements already in the works for the Fair and Fairgrounds themselves, and it is vital to have that momentum continue. The Friends of the Fair is the perfect vehicle to help us do that,” commented Symons. “I truly believe that success of the Fairgrounds and our communities go hand in hand. The more we support each other throughout the region, the more success we all enjoy.”
Improvements already underway at the fairgrounds include WiFi availability across the grounds, RV park improvements and marketing, a website re-build of www.tricountyfair.com/, online ticket sales for the 2014 Tri-County Fair and a new Agriculture Passport program for Kids’ Day at this year’s fair. “We also have some new and exciting interim events coming to the Fairgrounds this year, and are looking for more,” concluded Symons
To become a “Friend of the Fair”, call 760-873-3588, email [email protected], or visit the website at www.tricountyfair.com.
