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.
Only 89 days left until the Iowa State Fair! Yikes! The weather has been so funny lately, cold day and hot the next that it’s hard to decide what season it is.
On this cold, rainy afternoon, all I can think about is this:
Can’t you almost feel the heat and smell the Fair food? I can’t wait. Have a great weekend!
Hi everyone! With my first week winding down, I thought I would introduce myself and tell you a little bit about what I will be doing this summer here at the Blue Ribbon Foundation. First of all, my name is Kristen O’Connor, and I am from Prairie City, Iowa. I will be a senior at UNI in the fall, majoring in Marketing. I am the new Special Projects Intern, and after only a week, I can already tell you that this is going to be a busy summer!
As the Special Projects Intern, my main responsibility is coordinating anything and everything when it comes to the volunteers that help us out during Fair time. How many people is that, you ask? Well I am finishing up my mailing list, and there are over 500 names. Pretty crazy, right? A lot of people don’t realize just how much work goes into planning the Iowa State Fair, and I am just tiny part of it.
Even though this summer is going to be busy, I already have a feeling that this is going to be one of the best. Not many people get to say that they have worked behind the scenes at the Iowa State Fair. I feel very lucky to be able to be a part of this, and I already can’t wait until the first day of the Fair, August 11th!
I’ll be posting next week about volunteering at the Fair, so make sure you check back soon if you are interested in learning more!
Kristen
Lights… Camera…Action…the Iowa State Fair is ready to roll but is in need of the stars of the show. The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation and Cookies Food Products are searching for ten outstanding volunteers to be the next Iowan of the Dayat the Iowa State Fair. These star community members will be honored at the 2011 Fair August 11 – 21.
I have been contacting volunteer organizations since March to collect nomination applications for Iowan of the Day candidates. I am currently working on Media Kits for television stations, newspapers and radio stations from around the state.
Iowa is a great place to live and there are plenty of hard-working people across the state that deserve to be honored. If you know someone in your community that would be a deserving Iowan of the Day, please nominate them.
There are nomination forms, a complete list of winners and sample nomination applications available on the Blue Ribbon Foundation website. You can also contact me at 515-262-3111 Ext. 678 with any questions. Nominations are due July 1, 2011.
I look forward to receiving some outstanding Iowan of the Day nominations!
Drew Norton, Public Relations Intern
Day 1 of my summer internship with the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation is almost to a finish. Although I have a lot of work ahead of me, my first day on the job could not have been more pleasant! It was wonderful to be introduced to the other interns as well as the staff members again as they showed us the ropes around the office. I had a more personal greeting from the Executive Director, John Putney, as I will be assissting him this summer as the special events intern. I am looking forward espeically to helping plan some of the special events such as the the Legislative Day as well as coordinating tickets for the Corn Dog Kickoff and the Grandstand.
Today presented a lot of time to become acquanited with my upcoming tasks and I am eager to start preparing for the 2011 Fair!
Trista
We are so excited to have all of our interns starting next week! Three amazing college students have been selected to assist us with planning the Fair this summer. Things are really starting to pick up around here and we love having the extra help (and love giving them a great internship experience)! Drew started part-time in March and now the two other ladies, Kristen and Trista, will join her full-time on Monday! Find out a little more about each of them below.
Drew Norton
Drew Norton is currently a junior at Iowa State University. She is majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication with a designated area of concentration in American Popular Culture. Drew is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and also serves as the Programming Manager on the Executive Board of ISUtv.
Originally from Bloomfield, Iowa, Drew has spent several summers attending the Iowa State Fair. She remembers her first Fair when she was ten years old and attended the LeAnn Rimes concert. Drew enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is an Oakland Raiders football fan and rarely misses a game on Sundays.
Kristen O’Connor
Kristen O’Connor is a senior at the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in Marketing with a Certificate in Tourism. She is the President of UNI’s Panther Leadership Service Club that works to raise money for three different organizations in the Cedar Valley, and is also a new member of Mu Kappa Tau, a National Marketing Honor Society. She works on campus as an ICN technician, as well as with UNI Catering.
Originally from Prairie City, Iowa, she is always close by when Fair time rolls around and has attended almost every Fair for the past 21 years. Her favorite part of the Fair is the food, but she also enjoys the free concerts. In Kristen’s spare time she likes to travel, cook, exercise and spend time with family.
Trista Woody
Trista Woody, a junior at the University of Northern Iowa, is majoring in General Communications with a minor in Political Science. She enjoys working for the Department of Residence as a Resident Assistant fostering diverse, inclusive communities and helping incoming students acclimate to the college campus. While at college she has also served as president of UNI student organizations as well as volunteered for a local political campaign. In addition, Trista enjoys serving on the student leadership team for the Navigators.
Growing up in Johnston, Iowa, Trista has looked forward to attending the Iowa State Fair every summer. As a tradition, she always visits her Grandpa’s BueLingo cow in the Cattle Barn and has a list of her favorite foods, activities, and events that she can’t miss every year. In her spare time Trista enjoys running, reading and planning her upcoming fall wedding.
These ladies will be kept busy assisting the Foundation by organizing events and programs such as Iowan of the Day, the 2011 Iowa State Fair volunteers, official merchandise sales and the Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction. They will also be posting on the blog to keep you informed with what’s going on this summer!
I couldn’t resist posting this photo I took when I got to work this morning. I have some serious spring fever and couldn’t believe that we got snow again! Though I’m ready for this to be the last snow until next winter, I couldn’t help but notice how pretty it looked this morning. I think I managed a smile since the radio said it should be melted by the end of the day 
Taken right outside our office this morning!
Not only am I ready for the warmer temperatures, but I can not wait until the Corndog Kickoff and the Fair to get here! Bring on the heat, Fair food, crowds and long hours…I’m ready!
As you may or may not know, in 2011, we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Butter Cow! To help celebrate, the Corndog Kickoff will show everyone that“There’s Nothing Butter!” than the Iowa State Fair! July 9, 2011 will celebrate all things butter cow and will take a look back at the history of the butter cow, all while raising funds for the Foundation!
We are looking forward to another great night. Our advisory committee has been meeting and we think we’ve got some great ideas for the event! If you have any interest in participating on the Auction Committee or the Set-up committee, please let us know.
Look for more information coming soon!
Ah, spring! Nothing feels as good as the opportunity to open doors and windows and get a wiff of the fresh air outside! Although some days it seems the temperature can’t decide if it’s ready to let winter go yet, the birds are singing and our grass is starting to green up!
We’ve decided to re-dedicate ourselves to this blog, clearly we’ve slipped a bit! Blame it on dreary winter days or the months of cold. But, we’re back!
Would you like some updates?
Have a great rest of the week!
Wow! Time flies! In the craziness of the holiday season, we have managed to completely neglect the blog, so it looks like we have some catching up to do….starting in November.
November
Well, November started out with a bang, hosting our fourth annual Fairgrounds 5K on the first Sunday of the month. We had unbelievable weather (70s if I recall correctly), record attendance, and most importantly, an exceptional amount of money raised for the renovations of the Fairgrounds. In addition to the 375 people who crossed the finish line, others in attendance included numerous volunteers, Team ISF kids, and Fairfield and Rosetta, the Fair’s mascots! It was a great day and a successful event. Thanks to the sponsors and to all who made it possible!
Fairfield and Rosetta pose with 5K participants.
Some participants came dressed for the occasion!
Runners take off from the starting line
The rest of the month was spent posting items on eBay, designing holiday cards, sending out membership renewals for Fan Fair and 1854 Society and recruiting interns.
December
December brought with it all of the joys of the holidays: cards, parties, and of course, food! We spent much of the beginning of December decorating Jake’s Club for upcoming holiday events. We are excited to use the space in Jake’s Club to offer a new membership program which includes access to members during Fair-time activities! For an affordable fee you can enjoy watching Jacobson Center activities from the comfort of couches or balcony seating. Plus, you have food and drink available for purchase without even leaving the room! Check out our website for more details on how to join!
Also, you have to see how great Jake’s Club looked for the holidays!
January
Happy New Year! Right now at the Foundation we’re getting ready to send out our quarterly newsletter which features our annual roll of donors. We are also working diligently reviewing resumes and conducting interviews to find three new interns for this summer. We have some excellent candidates so it will be very difficult to choose! Finally we are gearing up for the Fair and the annual Corndog Kickoff which will be here before you know it!
Well, hope that brings you up to speed! I was looking at the very first post from our blog and that was a year ago already! Wishing you all the best in 2011! Stay tuned in and we’ll keep you updated throughout the year.
I can’t believe the weather we’ve been having lately! I love fall! I just hope we can hold onto this until the first week in November for our 5K. In addition to the great weather, another reason I love the fall is because it tends to slow down a little at work after those crazy summer months. But, even in the off-season we keep busy preparing for upcoming events, and we could use your help. The Blue Ribbon Foundation offers opportunities for you to get involved and give back.
We encourage you to sign up for our fourth annual Fairgrounds 5K, a great way to get some exercise and support the Fair with friends and family! If you’re interested, be sure to register before next Friday, October 22nd, to receive the discounted entry fee. If you’re not in the mood to walk or run and still want to take part, we are still looking for volunteers to help out on race day. Please send me an email if you’re interested in volunteering.
Here are a couple of photos from last year’s event:
It was so nice out last year, people were in shorts!
Participants walking the route.
Volunteers helping at the finish line.
Another opportunity we have available is for college students. We are currently seeking interns for 2011! If you know a motivated college student in his or her sophomore or junior year, encourage him or her to apply. We offer one spring/summer internship and two summer internships. The application process and more information can be found on our website.
Enjoy the beautiful fall weather and help us spread the word about the opportunities the Blue Ribbon Foundation has to offer. Tell your friends about the Fairgrounds 5K and our available internships!