Lodging Panel Funds Annual Car Show

The Lamar Days Car Show and Rod Run will hold its 22^nd annual event next year, partially funded by the Prowers County Lodging Tax Panel.  Ron Cook, organizer, requested $3,500 for marketing funds for the show which will be held May 19^th and 20^th at Willow Creek Park during Lamar Days.  Cook said, “I’m requesting $500 more than last year because I’m advertising through a website as well as on youtube to help expand the number of entries and the people attending.”  Cook said he has 28 local sponsors who help fund the show so there are no admission fees for people displaying their vehicles which make it a unique event in a three state area.  “It takes about $8,000 to put on each year, but the sponsorship for this has been very supportive,” he explained, adding that a lot of people will book motel rooms for the event when they display their vehicles.”

“We’ll have the Poker Run on Friday and donations for that go towards the Lamar Fire Department’s annual fireworks display. Last year we raised about $1,000 towards their goal.”  Cook said he had 170 entries last year with many of the cars on display rolling in from Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma, plus Colorado entries from all over the state.

In other matters, Panel Business Manager, Carla Scranton, told the board members the Prowers County Commissioners had received five applications for three board seats, as those member’s positions are expiring. Applicants, who had some connection to tourism in the county, applied for the board through the Prowers County Commissioners office.  Scranton said the new members would be announced at the January 2017 meeting.

The Panel received a final payment from the state of $343.48 which put total income for 2016 at $101,240 and about $4,000 more than the previous year. Including the $14,000 contingency fund, the balance entering 2017 will be $41,875.  County Commissioner, Wendy Buxton-Andrade suggested that with anticipated long-term construction projects planned for the county next year, local motels will benefit from the additional rentals.

By Russ Baldwin