page 194 2015 LOGAN COUNTY FAIR LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com August 2-9, 2015
Logan County Fair Association
fundraising for new bathrooms
RAISING
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.
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
FUND
