Antelope Stampede Okayed for Lodging Panel Funding

The annual Lamar Community College rodeo event, the Antelope Stampede, received funding from the Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel during their July 19^th meeting.  The request for $9,700 had been made by organizer Fred Sherwood months earlier, but the board delayed awarding the funds until there was a sufficient balance in their account.  The event this year is set to run from September 30^th through October 2^nd and will feature competition among several colleges in the region.  Several hundred persons are expected to attend the event which brings numerous visitors into the Lamar community.

August is a profitable month for the Lodging Panel as it receives a large payback from the state based on the 2% tax revenue levied on motel rooms in the county. Panel business manager, Carla Scranton, said last year’s quarterly payment was $23,500 and next month’s payment is estimated to be approximately the same.  The panel did table the funding request from the Lamar Chamber of Commerce for their annual Farm-City Banquet, set for November 12^th this year.  They did approve a $1,500 request to help fund the second annual, Paint the Plains for Patriotism 5K Fun Run/Walk.  Organizer Kendra Cole had explained earlier that the event coincides with the town’s annual 9/11 Tri-State Tribute.  The Fun Run/Walk had about 300 attendees for the first year where the participants either ran or walked a path around Willow Creek Park and were sprayed from head to toe with red, white or blue cornstarch powder at several checkpoints along their route.  An even larger turnout is anticipated for the September 10^th event.

The Lamar Racing Club received a $500 donation from an earlier pledge of up to $2,000 based on the success of the racing season. Angel Munoz detailed the growth of the events comparing seven events of this season to last year’s which just about doubled the numbers of persons in the grandstand and cars and drivers.  “We’re seeing drivers from Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Kansas,” he told the panel and said there’s another two-day event featuring Rocky Mountain Midget Racers this weekend. by Russ Baldwin