Well, after another great holiday spent with family and friends we are all back at work, and for me, it seems busier than ever! Everyone assumes that we are slow this time of year, but there are plenty of projects that need work all year round, or those that are getting started in preparation for the Fair. Currently I am working on the “winter” newsletter, conducting intern interviews and gearing up to start planning the Corndog Kickoff. In addition, we are getting ready to launch a new giving program, Our Fair’s Future, improving our online donation process as well as redesigning our website!

I am excited for 2012 and all that it will bring. Keep checking in with us here at the Foundation as we will have a lot of new and exciting things to share in the upcoming year.

Happy Holidays from the Blue Ribbon Foundation!

Blue Ribbon Foundation Christmas Tree

As I’ve spent the past week decorating around the office and home, there have been a lot of things on my mind involving the holidays. As someone that is recently engaged, one of the biggest things on my mind is incorporating a new family into my holiday routine. That means extra family gatherings to attend, more holiday treats to bake, and most of all, more presents to buy.

I often have a hard time thinking of fun and meaningful gift ideas for the ones that I love. As someone who grew up with a passion for the Iowa State Fair, I always loved collecting items that reminded me of those wonderful 11 days in August. This year, when thinking about gifts for that Fair lover in your life, head over to our online Iowa State Fair merchandise store and give them something that will help them remember their favorite memories of the Fair all year round.

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation!

Also, here’s a quick recap of the end of the Fall since we’ve been out of touch:

• The annual 5K went great! We had a record number of participants and the weather was beautiful!
• We had a change in staffing as well. Jenna Reece is our new sponsorship director, taking the place of Emily Saveraid. Jenna will be blogging soon so you will get to know her as well!
• I attended the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) annual conference in Las Vegas the last week in November. It was a great conference and our Fair Manager and CEO, Gary Slater, will be the chair at next year’s convention, so we will preparing all year to help put on a great event.
• Blue Ribbon staff has been preparing for our annual holiday party that will take place next week in the Jacobson Center.

December is already flying by and the holidays will come and go before we know it! Be sure to check out the great State Fair merchandise we have for sale in our online store if you still have some shopping to do!

Besides the good feeling you’ll get from helping out the Fair, participants also receive a long sleeve t-shirt and goodie bag with their registration fee. Sign up soon to get the discounted rate of $20; the price goes up to $25 starting October 22nd. Race day registration is also available for $30.

Check out this year’s shirt:

2011 Fairgrounds 5K Shirt

Oh, and did I forget to mention door prizes and refreshments after the race? There are so many reasons to join us on November 6, so don’t miss out! For all of the details about the event, be sure to visit our website.

One project in which only phase one was completed for the 2011 Fair is Expo Hill. Were you at the Fair to see our progress? If not, here’s what it looked like:

Expo Hill During the 2011 Fair.

Now that the Fair is over, phase two can begin! We are envisioning a stage area that will feature a solar powered cover. We will also be adding another walking path on the northwest side (right by the Foundation office!) for another access point.

Future walking path to Expo Hill.

We’ll also be adding additional solar cooling benches and other features.

Solar lighting on the walking path.

Solar light cubes.

The solar cooling bench and a view up the hill.

If you’re out on the Fairgrounds this fall, take a walk up to Expo Hill. The new walking path makes it easy to get to the top of the hill. Once you’re up there, you’ll notice that Expo Hill provides a wonderful view of the Fairgrounds and the Des Moines skyline.  It’s worth the walk!

Walking path.

We hope that you enjoy the changes we’re making to the grounds to make your Fair experience even better! And don’t forget to sign up for the Fairgrounds 5K where you’ll get a current view of the progress!

For those of you who follow our blog, you can vouch for how great our interns were this year. They each posted once a week to keep you up to date on Foundation activities, and quite frankly its making my job difficult to keep up on my postings now that they’re gone. A special thank you to our three amazing interns Drew, Kristen and Trista for their hard work this summer!

Allyson, Emily, Drew and Trista pose with volunteer Andy Schlumbohm at the Corndog Kickoff.

Kristen and Drew on the last day of the Fair.

Trista and Kristen all dressed up for the Kickoff.

If you know of any hard-working, motivated college students in their junior year, who love the Fair, be sure to send them our way! We are looking for spring and summer interns to help us plan for the 2012 Fair. A full description of the available positions can be found here. The deadline is December 31, 2011.

As a previous Foundation intern myself, I can attest to the quality of the internships we offer. Interns will have a one of a kind experience and learn a lot of skills along the way. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email.

I have never been a runner, but I am so excited for the 5K this year! My husband and I started running this fall and I’m finally starting to complain less and embrace the feeling of confidence when I complete our runs, especially when we move up the miles each week. Though I won’t be running in it because of my obvious event coordination obligations, I am still thrilled to be offering this opportunity to others!

Since we are entering our fifth year, we decided it would be fun to add a couple of  new events to our 5K. In addition to our 5K fun run, we have added a one mile walk and a kids’ run! We will also have the newest timing system that’s available, RFID timing. Basically it is like chip timing, but instead of a chip you turn in a the end of the race, it is a small device located on the back of your race number that can be kept or thrown away. We’re also working on beefing up our prizes and giveaways, so be sure to sign up!

Registration includes a race t-shirt and goodie bag. Plus, you get to experience the Fairgrounds in the off-season and help raise money for the renovation and preservation of the Fairgrounds! Visit the Fairgrounds 5K website for sign up information as well as details for all of the events.

Check out a couple of pictures from last year’s race as well as our newest mascot for the 5K!

Runners approach the one mile mark.

Fairfield and Rosetta pose with some participants.

Walkers enjoying the scenery.

Now, introducing the newest addition to the Fairgrounds 5k, our cow mascot (yet to be named)! This year we will debut our “Chase the Cow Kids’ Run” where children 1-11 will chase the cow to the finish line!

The cow mascot for the "Chase the Cow Kids' Run"

Send us your suggestions and help us name the cow!

 

Have a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

 Each Iowan of the Day receives VIP treatment on their respective day! Starting with recognition on the Anne & Bill Riley Stage at 2:30; use of the Iowan of the Day golf cart; gate admission and grandstand tickets; VIP parking; $200 cash; and accommodations at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott.

 The Blue Ribbon Foundation began the Iowan of the Day award in 1997 to honor those Iowans who have truly made a difference in their communities. This year, the judges reviewed hundreds of nominations selecting those that show examples of integrity, Iowa pride, hard work and dedication.

“We are pleased to recognize these outstanding individuals as Iowans of the Day,” said John Putney, Executive Director of the Blue Ribbon Foundation. “Their volunteerism, dedication and service to their community and the state of Iowa makes each one deserving of this honor.”

 The 2011 Iowan of the Day recipients are:

Louise Unkrich of Swedesburg

Robert Smith of Sidney

Pauline Flamme of Gladbrook

Julie Beitelspacher of LeMars

John Rains of Urbandale

Ruby Bentley of Macedonia

Milton Menefee of Denver

Mickey Thomas of Osceola

Bill Forbes of Correctionville

Leo Chisholm of Osage