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558 N. Main St.,
Prineville, OR 97754
Phone: 541.447.6205 |
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By Vance W. Tong
By now anybody who lives in Prineville or reads the Central Oregonian knows that the Beaver Coach group recently visited this fair city.
On the surface, a person may view this event as simply a bunch of people who own expensive motorhomes stopping for a day or two in Central Oregon. However, it is indicative of a much larger issue.
According to Gary Timmerman, chairman of the Crook County Fair Board, hosting the more than 500 motor coaches was by far the most successful event the fairgrounds has had this year.
A total of 13,500 meals were served to the people there for an approximate value of nearly $30,000 in food and drink.
Thirty-seven golf carts were rented, for use at the fairgrounds, and who knows how much other money was spent in this area at stores or recreation facilities.
What's more, according to Timmerman, the fairgrounds were left clean and neat by these people.
What more could we as a community ask for? Out-of-town people visit, spend money, and then leave with minimal impact on the area.
Even better, the Beaver Coach people liked spending time in Prineville so much that they've agreed to come back in 2003 and 2004, and plan to have a similar Monaco coach rally in addition to the Beaver coach rally in 2004.
We, at the Central Oregonian, hope that businesses and organizations alike - ourselves included - can learn from this year's event and build upon it in preparation for next year.
Encouraging tourism of this nature doesn't bring the kind of money that the re-opening of a mill would, but it sure doesn't hurt.
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