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STANISLAUS COUNTY FAIR PRESENTS
BLUE RIBBON AWARD TO COUNTY BANK
Turlock--County
Bank has deposited more than cash in their
vault—they now are the holders of the prestigious
Blue Ribbon Award from the Western Fairs Association
(WFA).
The Stanislaus County
Fair board of directors awarded County Bank with the
WFA Blue Ribbon Award for the bank’s tremendous
support of the Stanislaus County Fair. The award
was presented at the Fair’s annual sponsor
recognition dinner, which was held on Thursday, July
28, 2005.
The Western Fairs
Association’s Blue Ribbon Award recognizes
outstanding commitment to the goals and values
represented by North America’s network of fairs.
“As a recipient of the Blue Ribbon Award, County
Bank joins a family of hundreds of fair volunteers
and sponsors who, together, provide a unique and
important fair experience for millions of guests
each year,” said Randy Hatfield, president of WFA.
“County Bank was
nominated for this award in recognition of their
significant contributions to our success,” said Tony
Leo, chief executive officer of the Stanislaus
County Fair.
Leo said that
in 1998, when the fair was facing financial
challenges, County Bank stepped forward to pledge
their faith in the Stanislaus County Fair’s future
by extending an unsecured line of credit.
“With their support,
the fair was able to revive itself and move forward
in a positive direction and has been moving forward
ever since,” said Leo.
 This
year, the Stanislaus County Fair looked to County
Bank once again for a long-desired capitol
improvement project which needed a corporate sponsor
to complete. County Bank responded and a brand new
entrance was
constructed at the entryway to the fair on
Soderquist Road and opened in time for the 2005
fair.
The new barn-like
façade is 18’ tall and 24’ wide and was designed to
incorporate the fair’s three existing ticket booths.
The sign above the entryway, which incorporates the
fair’s name and the County Bank logo, features day
and night acrylic lettering which is black by day
and white at night when the sign is fully
illuminated. Fifty-two percent of the fair’s guests
each year will use the County Bank entrance during
the fair’s 10-day run
In addition, County
Bank has been a longtime supporter of the Junior
Livestock Auction and Heifer Sale. Starting in 1998
and continuing each and every fair since, the bank
has loaned $400,000 (now $450,000) to the Junior
Livestock Auction and Heifer Sale program each
year. The funds are used to pay 4-H and FFA
exhibitors for their animals sold at auction during
the 10-day fair. While the fair is waiting for the
buyers to pay their bids, the fair makes payments to
County Bank on the loan, with interest.
“What’s so
impressive is that after the loan is paid in full,
County Bank refunds the interest paid,” said Leo.
In addition to
County Bank’s financial generosity, the financial
institution also helps the fair year after year by
providing their experienced staff to clerk at the
Heifer Sale and Junior Livestock Auction.
“County Bank has
also been a longtime supporter of the fair through
our sponsorship program. They’ve sponsored
buildings, days at the fair, ATM machines and more,”
said Bill Mattos, president of the Stanislaus County
Fair Board. “Year after year, County Bank is behind
the fair in every way and the fair is truly
grateful.”
The WFA is a
professional non-profit trade association serving
the fair industry throughout the United States and
Canada—14 states, plus Alberta and British Columbia
make up this association. The Association's primary
purpose is to assist in maintaining the highest
professional standards within the fair industry
through a voluntary network of individuals and
organizations.
The Stanislaus County
Fair just concluded its 94th fair. The
2006 fair will open on Friday, July 28 for a 10-day
run. The theme of the 2006 fair will be “Pig
Out on Family Fun!”
The mission of the
Stanislaus County Fair is to provide a family and
community oriented experience promoting agriculture,
entertainment and technology. For more information
about the Stanislaus County Fair log onto
www.stancofair.com.
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