The Faircracker Fall 2022
President’s Message—Terry Atchley IMPORTANT DATES IAFE Virtual Award Show November 17 @2pm CDT Facebook Live: @iafenetwork! View the list of Winners https:// www.fairsandexpos. com/Library/ category/68/ContestWinners IAFE Convention November 27-30 Indianapolis 2023 Tallahassee Legislative Trip—March 7-8 Annual Convention May 18-20 Orlando
Greetings Fair Family, Wow, what a way to kickstart our Fair Season. Rides are set-up, livestock is in the barns and the children are ready, so open the Gates and let’s have some family fun. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian decided to test our resiliency, commitment and passion to each other, our communities and the state as a whole. As our thoughts and prayers continue to be with everyone that was impacted from the loss of loved ones to everything they physically owned being destroyed; our fair families and facilities rose to the occasion by housing First Responders in their facilities, to staging equipment on their grounds to supporting each other. As a City Manager of an area heavily impacted, it was very heart warming that some of my very first calls came from My Fair Family, asking, are you okay? What do you need? How can we help? We are so blessed in this industry. When I had the opportunity to reach out to a few of our Fair Industry Champions and ask “WHY”- why do you do what you do and why go above and beyond to serve others, they said: Cheryl Flood – Executive Director, Florida State Fair “As the State Fair, we are an important emergency management partner in our community and state during any natural disaster. As recent as Hurricane Ian, we hosted over 1200 TECO electrical workers, served as a staging area for many local, state, and federal agencies including Florida Fish and Wildlife, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, National Guard, US Coast Guard, and US Air Force, a statewide fueling staging center and we were a temporary home to the equine community. As part of our mission, we continue to stand ready and willing to serve the citizens of the State of Florida as needed. I’m thankful to be part of the Florida Fair industry, as many other fairs did the same across the state aiding those in need. That’s what fairs are about, service to people and service to community.” Tasha Hyder – General Manager, Clay County Fair “ I was inspired to do this because, honestly, it’s instinct. Continued on page 3
IT’S ALWAYS A FAIR DAY IN FLORIDA!
FLORIDA FEDERATION OF FAIRS & LIVESTOCK SHOWS, INC. Mission Statement: Increase the overall quality of Florida’s Agricultural Fairs. Provide the members the support and guidance needed to enlighten our youth and educate Fairgoers on agriculture, trade, entertainment and the heritage of Florida.