Blue Ribbon Blog

Welcome to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation’s blog!

We are a non-profit organization with a mission to raise funds for the renovation and preservation of the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds. Since our inception in 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $200 million through individual contributions, state appropriations, in-kind services, and corporate, federal and state grants.

Please follow our blog to learn more about our organization.

We’re taking the Countdown to the Iowa State Fair Brick-by-Brick!

July 22, 2015
Intern's picture

It’s not like I’m counting or anything, but there are only 21 days until the Iowa State Fair! That means our office is in full Fair-mode sending out concert tickets, parking passes and admission tickets to members of several different Foundation programs. Maggie also just mailed out the remainder of her volunteer packets, so the amount of mail coming from our office is getting pretty ridiculous. Not to mention the announcements of our Iowan of the Day winners, FairSquare booth preparation, Water Program information and merchandise orders that are keeping us busy.

Not only are we counting the number of days until the Fair, we are also counting bricks! Drew, Maggie, Anna and I spent most of Monday placing bricks. We laid bricks bought through our Brick by Brick program at multiple locations throughout the Fairgrounds. I don’t recall masonry in our job description, but laying the bricks was actually a nice change of the pace from office work. We dug out old blank bricks from the established brick pads and replaced them with newly engraved ones. By the time we finished laying the more than 200 bricks on our list, we felt like professionals.

I encourage everyone to stop and take a look at the different brick pads while visiting the Fair. While placing the bricks, I found some of the engravings interesting, touching and even amusing. Those who have made a donation for a brick do so for a number of reasons. No matter the purpose, bricks are a great gift or way to honor someone you love.

Now it’s time to take this exciting countdown to the Iowa State Fair day by day!

-Molly

Food, Fun and Friends!

July 20, 2015
Intern's picture

Hi ya’ll! I hope everyone had a great week and refreshing weekend! The past two weeks have been very busy at the office! Between the Corndog Kickoff (on July 11th) and the volunteer reception (on July 16th), I’ve been one busy girl! We had an amazing Kickoff this year, which I know you’ve heard all about. Last Thursday was the volunteer reception for all of the Blue Ribbon Foundation volunteers that will help out during the Fair. Since I’m the Volunteer Relations Intern, this was in my care; all the planning, organizing and hosting, well with of course the help of my fellow interns and staff in the office.

We had around 250 people attend out of the 450 people that volunteer during the Fair. Everyone enjoyed food, picked up their packets of information for volunteering, had a short orientation which was followed by a tram tour of the Fairgrounds. It was a night filled with food, fun and friends. All in all, it was a very successful evening and I would like to give a big shout out to all of the volunteers for the Blue Ribbon Foundation for all of the amazing work they do for this organization! And thank the Blue Ribbon Foundation staff for helping me out at this event!

Although the volunteer reception has passed, there are still plenty of spots to sign up to volunteer! Check out our schedule online and see if any of the shifts will work with your schedule. We would love to have all the help we can get. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at (515) 262- 3111 ext. 379.

Well, that’s all I have for now, but I’ll be back soon! Have a fantastic Monday!

 

-Maggie J.

Here is a picture of the reception!

 

...and the Numbers are in!

July 16, 2015
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It’s a dreary morning at the office, but our spirits are high with the reported new Corndog Kickoff totals. We are happy to announce that we surpassed both of last year’s totals and have raised even more funds for the renovation and preservation of the historic Fairgrounds! Last Saturday’s event raised a total of $460,000 and brought more than 2,000 attendees. Guests enjoyed a variety of Fair food while perusing the 215 silent auction packages and watching the 27 live items being auctioned off.

As someone who has never been to this fantastic event, I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm everyone carried throughout the night. Working behind the scenes on logistics was high intensity, but incredibly rewarding. I got to see everything that goes into such a large event unfold in the week prior and Saturday night.

I would like to give a shout out to all the attendees who made it possible to surpass last year’s total. I also want to thank all the volunteers who took on vital roles during the night, especially my oldest sister who spent the entire night taking photographs for us. Below are a few of the pictures she snagged throughout the night. I already cannot wait for the 20th annual Corndog Kickoff next year, but I better focus on the 2015 Iowa State Fair first with only 27 days to go!

Thanks for all the support!

Molly

 

Intern love at the beginning of the night - Maggie, Me (Molly), Anna

As an FFA member, I was excited to have the State officer team volunteering at the event!

One of our photo booth backdrops. The Butter Cow was definitely ready for "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

A pie from the Iowa State Fair Queen was auctioned off during the live auction.

The night concluded with SkyGlider rides and Fireworks by the Grandstand.

 

Welcome Back!

July 14, 2015
Intern's picture

Hi everyone! Seems like a long time since I’ve sat down and blogged about happenings here at the Blue Ribbon Foundation. Last week we were hardly in the office at all. We spend most of our time running around the Varied Industries building setting up for ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, also known as the Corndog Kickoff. My fellow interns and I knew we were in for a long week, but it didn’t feel that long. It sort of flew by as we set up center pieces, created auction packages, did some heavy lifting and checked all the final details. Molly even ended up inside the giant Christmas tree,  loaned to us by Bass Pro Shop, to help set it up. (See below for pictures!)

The day of Corndog Kickoff was exciting and stressful and wonderful all at the same time. I’ve never been a part of behind the scenes work at such a big event, so it was awesome to see all the work that went on to make the Corndog Kickoff so successful. We’re so thankful for everyone that attended, volunteered and donated. Final numbers on money raised will be out sometime soon. Hopefully one of the other interns will be able to highlight that later in the week.

For now though, we’re all hard at work back in the office. Things haven’t really slowed down though. Remember, the Fair is only 29 days away! We hope to see you all there. If you’re looking for an opportunity to get involved, consider volunteering with us.

In the meantime, keep your eye on the official countdown clock on the Fair’s website. It will be time to gather on the Fairgrounds before you know it!

-Anna

 

Got a corndog as the live auction was going on. Clearly, I was excited about it.

2015 Volunteer Schedule

July 6, 2015
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Below is the 2015 Volunteer Schedule. The schedule is subject to change and will continually be updated. 

 

Fireworks!

July 2, 2015
Intern's picture

Hi y’all! With all the excitement and energy around the office, you would think someone has been shooting off fireworks for the Fourth of July. Everyone has been busy getting ready for 2015 Corndog Kickoff, which is NEXT WEEK (Saturday, July 11 to be exact)! It’s crazy how fast it’s gotten here. Tickets are still on sale by the way. Just call the office at (515) 262- 3111 ext. 371 to order yours! Or stop by that night and purchase them. Either way we would love to see you there!

My week has been busy getting the volunteer schedule ready to be posted online, which will go live in just a few hours! It’s not full yet, which means there are still plenty of spaces to sign up to donate your time at the Iowa State Fair. There will be highlighted shifts on the schedule that are still available for volunteers. For those of you who don’t know and are curious about what volunteers get in return (besides that wonderful feeling you get from helping keep our Fair the most wonderful Iowa tradition), volunteers receive ticket(s) into the Fair for the day(s) they volunteer, parking pass(es), and a t-shirt. They are also invited to our volunteer reception where you receive a wonderful meal catered by Campbell’s, a short presentation, and a Fairgrounds tour. This reception is also something I have been working on this week. It’s kept me pretty busy. I’ve created a manual for volunteers, ordered food, created a game to play and many other things. So, if you’re interested in volunteering give me a call at (515) 262-3111 ext. 379 or shoot me an email at Maggie@BlueRibbonFoundation.org. We would love to have your help!

Anyways, that’s all I have for now! I hope everyone has a fantastic Fourth of July weekend and enjoys the wonderful fireworks. And remember, if you can’t get enough of the fireworks on the Fourth, come to the Corndog Kickoff where there will be even more! 

 

Maggie J. 

 

The volunteer schedule getting ready to be posted online...(plus, check out that manual that made it into the background).

Just a little 'Throwback Thursday' to the fireworks during the Kickoff last year!

A glimpse at our office this week

July 1, 2015
Intern's picture

Hi everyone!

It’s a short week here at the Blue Ribbon Foundation and as always things here are busy, busy, busy. Not only do we have a three day holiday weekend coming up, it’s also the deadline for Iowan of the Day nominations to be postmarked, Corndog Kickoff is just around the corner and Goodguys Car Show is setting up around the grounds.

With just ten days left before the Corndog Kickoff, our office is getting a lot more visitors. People are coming in to buy tickets and drop off auction packages. Just today, we’ve had Charley Starnes, the ISF photography superintendent, Iowa Speedway and a few others drop off auction packages. We’re also expecting a chicken coop to be brought by sooner or later. Of all the visitors we’ve had today, the cutest by far were our Foundation Director, Peter Cownie’s, kids. It was a nice little break as things are getting hectic around here.

Adding to all of that, I’ve had a good bunch of Iowan of the Day nominations come in yesterday and today. I might have to wait until everything is done for the Kickoff before I dive into those. Either way, I’m excited to move forward with the program. Winners will be picked later in the month! Hard to believe the project I’ve been working on since March is picking up speed.

I’ll be back next week with more updates. Have a great weekend and happy 4th of July!

-Anna

 

 

Just some things to look forward to next week, once the big event arrives!

One Day Left to Save!

June 29, 2015
Intern's picture

Happy Monday everyone! Today we had our regular Monday staff meeting and it got me even more excited for the Corndog Kickoff. In two weeks we will have completed what is sure to be another fun and successful event, and will be moving our focus onto our great State Fair!

 I am the intern that deals with the majority of ticket sales and organization before the big day, and I have noticed an increase in ticket orders the past week. I am assuming that people are scrambling to purchase their tickets to the event before they increase in price on July 1. So…take a hint from the very wise individuals who have been getting their tickets now, because the ticket price increases from $75 to $100 on Wednesday. That means one day left to save some money!

One of the many reasons that you should absolutely attend the 19th annual Corndog Kickoff is the “Rags to Riches” game. I am specifically excited for this part of the evening because it is a great break during the live auction!

If you’re wondering what “Rags to Riches” is, then allow me to explain. Before we reach package #19 at the event, everyone is encouraged to purchase a souvenir bandana, or “rag,” for $10. During the live auction, after auction package #20, all those who have purchased a rag are invited to stand. At the beginning of the game, you hold the rag in your hand and you will choose to hold your rag up or keep it down at your side. The auctioneer will flip a coin – heads is rags up and tails is down. If you chose correctly you remain standing and continue to play; when you’re wrong, you sit down. The game continues until only one participant is left standing. This person will receive half of the amount made from the rag sales. Sounds like a fun way to win some some cash and test your luck, huh?

Take a look at some of the pictures from last year that I have included to get a better sense of the game.

Hope to see everyone at the 2015 Corndog Kickoff, Saturday, July 11!

-Molly

Purchase your "Rag' before auction item #19 for a chance to win big!

2014 Souvenir Bandana

What can brighten any day?

June 26, 2015
Intern's picture

Hi ya’ll! It’s been a pretty rainy week here in Des Moines. I feel like all its done is rain, which sometimes can bring down my mood. However, even though my drive to work can be sort of gloomy, one thing that always brightens my day up (no matter what it looks like outside) is sitting down at my desk and seeing all the emails and phone calls I’ve received from our wonderful volunteers!

This automatically makes my day better to see how many people care about the Iowa State Fair and the tradition and happiness it brings to so many people! We already have over 375 volunteers signed up to help out at the 2015 Iowa State Fair! Can you believe it?!? It’s amazing!

But....we can always use more! If you’re interested in donating your time and talents to help the Blue Ribbon Foundation, give me a call at (515) 262-3111 ext. 379 or email me at Maggie@BlueRibbonFoundation.org. I would love to chat about our volunteer opportunities and what it means to volunteer with the Blue Ribbon Foundation!

Since its inception, the Foundation has raised over $100 million to go towards renovations around the Fairgrounds. Volunteers are a HUGE part of this! So think about donating your time to help keep one of Iowa’s best traditions alive. I mean, it’s only four hours and you never know whose day you will brighten with the gift of volunteering…

That’s all I have for now, but have a great weekend! And try to stay dry!

Maggie J.

 

Below are some pictures of our wonderful volunteers!

Tags: volunteer

Show someone your appreciation!

June 24, 2015
Intern's picture

Hi everyone!

With the Iowan of the Day deadline fast approaching, I wanted to talk about the program once more time before it closes for the year. In the past, I’ve talked about the perks of winning. While there are a lot of great things about being selected as an Iowan of the Day, the prizes aren’t really the point. What really matters in this program are the reasons people are nominated.

People ask me all the time, “Why should people submit a nomination?”. My answer is always along the same lines. Nominating an individual in your family, neighborhood or town is a way to show them you recognize and appreciate everything they do. Most of the nominations I see come through are for people who do essential work for their communities. They take on projects with enthusiasm. They don’t look for recognition, yet they are people who often deserve it most.

What’s more, going out of the way to show someone they are valued makes a big impact. Past winners have expressed how being a part of the program affected them.

 “You made me feel special and overwhelmed at the wonderful treatment you showed to me. The Iowa State Fair is the best!” said Wilbur Cordes of Allison.

That’s the core of the Iowan of the Day program. Showing someone they are valued.

If you want to nominate someone, you have until July 1 to send in your information.  If you have any questions, please contact me. I can be reached at 515-262-3111 ext. 378 or by email Anna@BlueRibbonFoundation.org.

Have a great day,

-Anna

 

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