Logan County Fair

Logan County Fair Association fundraising for new bathrooms

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[August 08, 2015]  Even though it is legally named and constantly referred to as the Logan County Fairground, the property located on the west side of Lincoln is owned and managed privately, with no financial assistance coming from either the county or the city of Lincoln.

Up until the last few years, the Fair Association has relied on profits from various sources during and after the annual fair to provide money for the upkeep and needed improvements at the fairgrounds. The annual fair provides money to the association through gate fees, entry fees of certain events, and grandstand ticket sales for certain events. In addition there are several livestock associations that rent the fairgrounds for their shows and miscellaneous other events throughout the year that pay to use the fairgrounds.

However, in the past few years, that income has not been sufficient to take care of all the needs of the property. In addition, cuts on the state level have made operating every county fair a challenge.

In 2012, the Fair Association took steps to help keep the local fairgrounds afloat by forming a foundation to accept charitable donations from the public. The foundation was established for the sole purpose of maintaining the fairgrounds, and allowing those who give generously to explore the option of using their donation as a tax deduction.

The foundation has worked out pretty well for the fairgrounds, and one can see improvements that have been made, such as the new safety fencing around the race track.

This year the Association came to realize that the bathroom facilities at the north end of the property were in need of replacements. The Association Board decided that would be a new project financed through the Foundation.

However, what they soon came to realize was that the new facility was going to be much more costly than one would expect. Mike Maske, the Secretary for the Association explained recently that the project became complicated very soon. “We have to tap into a sewer line that is out in the middle of a road, and buried eight-feet deep. That alone is going to cost a lot of money,” Maske said.

The Association Board decided they would have to hold a special fundraiser to reach their goal of $64,000 in order to build the new bathrooms. Maske said that the Logan County Fair Association and the annual fair have always received great support from local businesses and organizations which they appreciate greatly. For this fundraiser the board decided that instead of first calling on those local folks for help, they should start with the ones who would actually benefit from the new facility, the exhibitors.

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Maske said the board sent out letters explaining the need and asking for financial support. “We were surprised by the response. There were some who sent back thousand-dollar checks.”

To date, the Foundation has collected about half of what is needed for the project, and are hopeful that more donations will be coming in so as to make the new bathrooms a reality within the next year.

Anyone who would like to support this project may do so this week at the fair or at any time during the year. To make a donation in person, visit the fair office located on the Midway this week and just tell the staff that you wish to give to the Logan County Fair Foundation. After the fair, donations may be made by mail to The Logan County Fair Association, P.O. Box 424, Lincoln, IL 62656.

Donations may also be handed to any member of the Fair Association. Those members are: President Dean Bruns; Kevin Kurtz, vice-president; Mike Maske, secretary; Rod Conklen, Darrell Evversten, John Fulton, Wayne Hanner, David Irwin, Herman Schwantz; and Robert Thomas, grounds manager.

[Nila Smith]

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