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FLORIDA FAIR NEWS Continued from page 20—South Florida Fair by Rick Vymlatil But is this what’s really important? Is this why we do what we do?


It goes without saying, but I will anyway, that the Fair has to succeed to keep the organization strong and moving forward. But again I ask, is this the most important aspect of what we do? I don’t know about you but whenever I tell someone what it is that I do, i.e. “oh, I work at the South Florida Fair,” more times than not the response is “really?”. That is usually followed by, “what do you do the rest of the year?” to which I respond that we have hundreds of events at our Fairgrounds each year and the majority of our time is spent assisting event producers with the operational side of their shows. We also conduct school tours in our Yesteryear Village and of course, plan for the next year’s Fair. This preliminary conversation is usually followed by some comment


having to do with the sheer magnitude of what we present at our Fairs. Regardless of the size of our community, the Fair is generally representative of the size of the community and that results in most cases that the Fair is likely the biggest event held in that location each year. That’s where I think those of us who produce these wonderful


events may fall victim to the old saying, “you can’t see the forest for the trees.”


Producing the Fair is just what we do, and we can lose


sight of the event’s importance to our respective communities and most importantly, to those who exhibit and attend. Think what the Fair provides to so many individuals: The opportunity for the aspiring artist or photographer to showcase


their best work to a mass audience. The venue for all of our Livestock exhibitors to present their ani-


mals and demonstrate their showmanship. The first carnival ride for sooooooo many kids. The wonder in the eyes of little ones who see the midway for the


first time. The annual opportunity for many people to meet the same friends


and do the same thing at the Fair, year after year after year. The thrill of the Grand Champion Steer/Hog Exhibitor when they hear the gavel fall and the amount they’ve earned per pound. The total experience of the Fair that so many folks who are con-


fined to wheelchairs can enjoy because our venues are generally very accessible to them. The overall value that the Fair provides. My list here could go on and on and perhaps some of my memo-


ries would be different from yours, but the point I’m trying to make is that what we do has a tremendous amount of meaning to our com- munities, volunteers and patrons. Don’t let yourself forget the beauty of the forest when all you see is trees. You are part of something very special that brings joy to so many people.


Dan West elected to Florida Farm Bureau Board of Directors


During the Annual Florida Farm Bureau meet- ing held in Ponte Verdra Beach, Dan West was elected to the Florida Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Elected for a two year term, West will represent District XV, Manatee, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, serving as liaison


between the local and state bureaus. Dan is manager of the Manatee County Fair and Past President of


the Florida Federation of Fairs and Livestock Shows, Inc. This year, Florida Farm Bureau Federation celebrates 72 years of service to agriculture.


Southwest FL Fair folks visit with Dan West at the Manatee County Fair. Pat and Kelly Palmer along with Randy & Fran Crone


The Manatee County Fair kicked off it's first ever 5K Run done in conjunction with the Manatee YMCA


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