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It takes a lot of people coming
together to make the Event Complex what it is – Each group coordinating
their own part; the Columbia County Racing Association who produces a
full season of races, the St. Helens Little League who runs the baseball
field including the scheduling of games and tournaments and the upkeep
of the field, the Master Gardener’s who have created and maintained a
beautiful display garden, the St. Helens Youth Soccer Association who
leases a field from us where you can see kids playing soccer almost any
night of the week. We also have a farm museum on the property that is
open during the annual fair & rodeo and other special events and is
managed by the Pomona grange.
The Fair Board consists of 5
volunteers who are dedicated to the welfare of the Columbia County Event
Complex and the annual Fair & Rodeo. They are a team of people who
direct the CCEC’s business throughout the year and oversee current and
future projects.
Each board member brings a
different skill set and works on different projects and issues as they
relate to the business of facility management. Fair Board members are
appointed by the Columbia County Commissioners and have the authority to
oversee all of the business related to the Columbia County Event
Complex.
The Fair Board appointed two
subcommittees the Rodeo Court and the Rodeo Committee. Our Rodeo Court
is led by Jean McPherson who mentors and educates these girls on
everything from public speaking to fundraising to horsemanship. We have
a very active and public Rodeo Court that travels nearly every weekend
to events and festivals promoting the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo.
The Rodeo Committee is led by Mark
Sandstrom who has created and implemented several fundraising projects
to help improve the rodeo arena. The committee works year round on
upgrading the arena and then manages our NPRA and Junior rodeos at fair.
This group of volunteers puts in a lot of volunteer hours behind the
scenes to help make our rodeo a huge success.
The 4-H program, led by Woody Davis
is a key component to our fair with a great variety of programs for kids
of all ages. There is an outstanding group of leaders that educate and
coach the kids throughout the year. They dedicate a huge amount of time
and energy to the 4-H program which is why the 4-H presents at fair is
so great!
With our staff being limited we
rely on volunteers to help us coordinate and manage many aspects of the
fair. We have 15 superintendents who spend the week of fair with us
managing their respective departments and working hard to produce a safe
and well organized event. We also have many other volunteers who quietly
work behind the scenes doing a variety of tasks that helps make the fair
and rodeo come together.
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