$33,500 in Tourism Grants Won by Mountain Groups

  • Happy Board of Trade grant recipients show us the money: (front, l-r) Kat Fair, Managing Director of Mountain Shakespeare Festival; Dr. Kathy Crandall, Treasurer, Mountain Memories; Daisy Cuddy, Chairman, Peddler?s Faire; Elosie Richer, Secretary, Ridge Route Communities Museum & Historical Society; Anne Weber, Secretary-Treasurer, Mountain Arts and Recreation Coalition; Don Weideman, President, Ridge Route Museum; (back, l-r) Penny Maines, President, Kern County Board of Trade; Sue Nichols, Treasurer, Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce; Kathy Lunstrum, Marketing and Promotions Associate, Kern County Board of Trade; Stacey Havener, President, Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce; Carl Marsee, Grounds Curator, Ridge Route Museum.

    Happy Board of Trade grant recipients show us the money: (front, l-r) Kat Fair, Managing Director of Mountain Shakespeare Festival; Dr. Kathy Crandall, Treasurer, Mountain Memories; Daisy Cuddy, Chairman, Peddler?s Faire; Elosie Richer, Secretary, Ridge Route Communities Museum & Historical Society; Anne Weber, Secretary-Treasurer, Mountain Arts and Recreation Coalition; Don Weideman, President, Ridge Route Museum; (back, l-r) Penny Maines, President, Kern County Board of Trade; Sue Nichols, Treasurer, Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce; Kathy Lunstrum, Marketing and Promotions Associate, Kern County Board of Trade; Stacey Havener, President, Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce; Carl Marsee, Grounds Curator, Ridge Route Museum.

Reported by David Hook, Kern County Board of Trade

Grants totaling $33,500 were presented to four Mountain Communities groups on Tuesday, April 7. Penny Maines of Lebec, president of the Kern County Board of Trade for 2009, did the honors.

“These grants will help Mountain Community organizations attract visitors, who will spend their time—and their money—enjoying all the wonderful tourism opportunities we have to offer,” Maines said.

Mountain Memories received two grants, a total of $8,500, to assist with advertising and website development to promote the annual Fiesta Days celebration.

The Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce received $11,000 for two separate projects: a regional marketing campaign and promotion of the area’s upcoming renaissance faire.

Mountain Arts and Recreation Coalition (MARC) received $10,000 to advertise the 2009 Mountain Shakespeare Festival, which will be producing two plays in July.

The Ridge Route Communities Museum was awarded $4,000 to assist with promotion of its annual Peddler’s Faire.

Travelers contribute more than $1.15 billion annually to the Kern County economy, according to figures provided by the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

Two dozen agencies receiving a portion of the $180,000 Tourism Promotion Grant Program, administered by the Board of Trade. The goal is to attract out-of-county visitors and to increase the economic benefits of tourism to the county. Maines made the presentations on behalf of Fourth District Supervisor Ray Watson.

This is part of the April 10, 2009 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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