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Weather:50°FFair |
More than 85 association members, advisers and guests gathered to recap the Berrien County Youth Fair Association’s 2008-09 fiscal year on Saturday night at the organization’s annual meeting held at the Youth Memorial Building.
Dates for next year’s fair and new board members were announced and Friends of the Fair winners and this year’s outstanding exhibitor were recognized at the meeting led by President Bruce Foster.
“The weather may have affected attendance, but we couldn’t ask for better exhibitor participation and volunteers at this year’s fair,” Foster said. He thanked the board of directors for their input and the contributions of the volunteers.
Susan Coulston, treasurer for the BCYFA, presented the financial report and the Association’s total operating income of $1.2 million total operating expenditures of $1.23 million resulting in an operating loss of $31,113.
“We certainly felt the effects of the depressed economy,” Coulston said. “We minimized our costs where we could to meet the decrease in our revenue but we were not able to make up the entire difference, thus the operating loss. We will make adjustments for fiscal year 2010 as needed to assure the financial stability of the BCYF.”
All obligations have been paid in full and the association said it remains in sound financial position. Coulston commented that attendance was down by about 8,600 with a total of 119,416 fair visitors, mostly due to the poor weather during fair week.
Discussing the state of the fair was fair manger Chris Carlin.
“Overall, revenues were down in 2009 because of the recession,” he said. “The state eliminated our premium grant this year, but our fair supporters really stepped up during our fish fry fundraiser. We were able to retain premiums at a 50 percent level.” At the 2009 fair, Carlin reported having 2,647 youth exhibitors and more than 14,500 exhibits. The Al Barbott Memorial Stage was considered a big hit, with more than 20 acts performing in the afternoons and evenings of the fair week.
The Demolition Derby sold out this year, the Dierks Bentley country concert was a near sell out as well and Kids Day was considered a great success, with packed grandstands for three free performances by the circus.
“The marketing program for the Expo Arena at the Berrien County Youth Fair has been in full swing since June of last year,” said Jack Strayer, director of development and marketing for the association.
Strayer also said the Expo Arena project raised more than $3 million in cash and fourth quarter pledges. A total of $5 million in cash would be needed, Strayer said, to order steel for construction and at that time, a groundbreaking ceremony will take place.
Board members announced
Each year six members of the Board of Directors are elected for a three-year term. This year those members – each incumbents – who were nominated and elected for an additional term included Don Byers of Berrien Springs; Bruce Foster of Berrien Center; Tom Gear of Benton Harbor; Rich Leneway of Niles; Cathy Reifschneider of Stevensville; and Brooke Totzke of St. Joseph, who will take the place of retiring board member Allen Weich of Niles.
A new board member nominated and elected to fill the two-year term of retiring board member Norma Ruggless of Buchanan is Dr. Phil Hecht of Berrien Springs.
The Friend of the Fair award was presented to Earl and Audrey Hansen of Berrien Center, and llama superintendent Rich Loraff and the llama department.
The award is given annually to those individuals, families, and/or businesses that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help with the many activities at the Youth Fair.
Finally, the Outstanding 20 Year-Old Exhibitor award was presented to Eric Lentz of Buchanan. Selection of this award is based on a point system covering Youth Fair participation and volunteering other than fair week over the last six years of exhibiting.
Lentz received a trophy and $300 scholarship award provided by the D. R. Potts Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Following the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors met to select officers for the 2009-2010 year: president, Bruce Foster of Berrien Center; first vice president, Linda Shinsky of Niles; second vice president, Mark Young of Niles; secretary, Karen Klug of Eau Claire; and treasurer, Susan Coulston of Niles.
The 2010 Berrien County Youth Fair will be Aug. 16-21 and next year’s theme will be “Treasure Chest of the County’s Best.”