DARKE COUNTY – The Darke County Senior Fair Board held their Annual Mandated meeting along with their Fair Appreciation Dinner. They had over 200 rsvp for the event. There was a catered meal by Mary Bergman and music by DJ Bubba Sound and Greg Peck provided the sound equipment.
After the welcome, Fair Board President, Greg Pearson opened the meeting and all said Pledge of Allegiance. We heard from all the Fair Board members regarding their departments and a short explanation of the fair week from them as well as they extended their appreciation to all who helped and worked at the fair. The 2023 Board of Directors for this year’s fair are Greg Pearson, President; Jim Zumbrink, Vice President; Marla Werner, Treasurer; Laura Ahrens; Secretary; Craig Bowman; Director; Jason Manning; Director; Heidi May; Director; Dean Neff; Director; Brian Rismiller, Director; Dave Singer, Director; Curtis Yount, Director; and Russ Skaggs, Director. Past Board members were acknowledged as well as the two new Fair Board members, Christoph Keller and Apollo Perez
Marla Werner, Treasurer, shared her report. Previous Balance was $1,709,755.13 and after expenses, the present 2023 balance is $1,609,329.67.
Jim Zumbrink, Vice President, shared the gate/ticket sales. Gate admissions was $453,885, ticket sales was $106,155, making a grand total of $559,040. He stated that “we’ve never recovered pre-covid”
Prime Time ride company along with their concessions provided the fair with an intake of $163,146.70.
Vickie Wilcox shared the Jr. Fair Sales numbers being 444 lots that went through the sale producing $723,000.
After the conclusion of the meeting, there were some door prizes given away, a silent auction was held on some wood carvings and glass blown pieces that were created at the fair.
Kirk Honeyman won the John Deere Gator raffle. He had purchased two tickets at the first of the fair and two more tickets the last day of the fair. You can see his interview on My County Link’s facebook page.
I spoke with several of the Fair Board members and they were all very appreciative of everyone’s hard work and diligence. Marla Werner says “as treasurer I get to look at all the numbers and a lot of them seem big but we do have a lot of expenses, but I think we’re doing well considering with the economy and we’re looking at other ways we can even save more money, make money and bring all these exciting things back to the fair. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work.”
Jim Zumbrink, Vice President, shared,“It’s appreciation for the people that work and help us all during fair week. Some of them, like my sheep secretaries, it’s all year going on in fact we’re going to have a meeting in October already starting out for next year so the fair, it just don’t happen in August, it’s a yearly thing. That’s basically what we’re saying, we appreciate all that they do for us.”
Greg Pearson, President, noted, “It’s an appreciation for all the help that everybody gives us. We couldn’t do this thing without people don’t realize what kind of time it takes to put this thing together, it’s not two weeks before the fair. We start right now and it’s all year. I just can’t thank them enough for all the countless hours they’re away from home and in here.”
Brian Rismiller, Director, explained, “Tonight we held our annual meeting. This is our annual appreciation banquet/meeting, we have to have this meeting per the State of Ohio through the Ohio fair managers, every year that allows us to give our records from the past fair and our state of the fair address. This is our meeting where we announce to the members, employees, our ticket holding members this is where we let them know what our annual income for the fair is. It is mandated by the State of Ohio. This was even done during Covid year, we still had our annual meeting, there wasn’t hardly anyone there but we still had to have it. Anyone can be invited, we have invite letters we pass to our department heads and anyone we feel should be invited, past board members, current and new fair board members. We end one year and start another.”
