A Fair to Remember – Forever
New funds will help support the Clayton County Fair long term.
Every August, about 450 young people gather at the Clayton County Fairgrounds to share projects they’ve spent weeks and months preparing. Another 25,000 visitors pass through the gates to celebrate the talents and hard work of community members in the kitchen, in the garden, and in the craft room.
Two new funds started by the Clayton County Agricultural Society will support this beloved annual tradition.
“The Fair is all about the young people, the hard work they put into their exhibits, and the life skills they learn,” says Deb Schulte, Agricultural Society treasurer.
The Fair also fosters connection – seeing friends and neighbors from other parts of the county, learning something new together, and sharing meals. The live music, entertainment, and favorite foods are a summertime tradition that spans decades.
That’s why the new funds with the Clayton County Foundation for the Future are so important.
The first, called the Clayton County Fair Project Fund, supports a $150,000 effort to drill a new well at the fairgrounds. The existing well is unable to maintain steady water pressure, needs new casing, and should be relocated according to current standards. All proceeds from the meal at the fair this summer were used to jumpstart this fundraising effort. A lead gift from Barb and Layton Hansel got the fundraising off to a strong start.
“The Clayton County Fair experience was very important to our family as our children were growing up, and now that value has been passed on to our grandchildren,” says Barb. “Our family made a gift to the Clayton County Fair Foundation to support the opportunity for all 4-H and FFA members in Clayton County to experience life lessons and create friendships through the fair.”
A strong connection with former Clayton County Foundation for the Future board member Andy Reimer inspired the Ag Society to become a 501(c)3 nonprofit, allowing the group to establish the second fund, an endowment called the Clayton County Fair Foundation, and begin accepting charitable gifts. Treasurer Deb Schulte led the transition, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s with the IRS.
Several families were excited to make initial gifts into the endowment thanks to the generous 25% Endow Iowa State Tax Credit, available to those who give more than $50 to endowed funds at the Clayton County Foundation for the Future. These gifts are invested permanently, and interest is distributed annually, forever, to support projects like the new well and future needs that arise.
That sustainability is the reason for the new endowment. “We hope that as the fund grows, we will receive enough interest to help the fair continue for years to come,” says Schulte.
Community members who love the fair are invited to give online to the endowment at dbqfoundation.org/ccfair or to the well project at dbqfoundation.org/ccfairwell. To learn more or ask questions, contact Schulte at 563-920-7315 or email treasurer@claytoncountyfair.com.
The Clayton County Foundation for the Future offers many opportunities to improve quality of life by addressing an array of local issues. To learn more about how you can establish a fund or make a gift that impacts your community, contact Sadewasser at 563-880-6044.