Blue Ribbon Blog

Welcome to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation’s blog!

We are a non-profit organization with a mission to raise funds for the renovation and preservation of the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds. Since our inception in 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $200 million through individual contributions, state appropriations, in-kind services, and corporate, federal and state grants.

Please follow our blog to learn more about our organization.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

May 7, 2014
Intern's picture

I’ve had another great week of work! Not too many exciting things have happened, I have just been plugging away on the Iowan of the Day and Corndog Kickoff work. The deadline to donate for the kickoff is May 20, and the deadline for Iowan of the Day nominations is July 1. It’s hard to believe I have been working part-time at the Fair for almost two months now, because it sure hasn’t felt that long. I guess what people say is true, “time flies when you are having fun!” That is definitely a good way to sum up this internship. It can be a lot of work, but it sure is fun! I think my favorite thing, so far, about working here is the atmosphere. Everyone I’ve met is so nice and genuinely loves the Iowa State Fair. It makes coming to work much easier when I am surrounded by people who are just as excited about their work as I am. Starting next week there will be even more excitement in the office as one of the other interns will be joining me. It has been great being able to come into the office these past few months in order to get a jump start on some of my work, but it has gotten a little bit lonely. It will be a nice change of pace to have another friendly face in the office.
Be sure you get out and enjoy the beautiful weather this week, I know I will be!

-Emily

Favorite Foods

April 30, 2014
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Can you believe that tomorrow is already the first day of May? I know I sure can’t! The beginning of May means different things to different people, but to me, it means Tulip Time. As I said in one of my earlier blogs I am a student at Central College in Pella, IA. Each year in Pella we have an annual Tulip Time festival to celebrate tulips, springtime, and the community. It’s definitely my favorite time of the year, and to say I’m excited is an understatement. Tulip Time is the perfect opportunity to get off campus for a little while and spend some quality time with your friends. And you also get to eat amazing food! I’m not much of a Dutch letter fan myself, but I’ll eat pretty much anything and everything else they have at Tulip Time. The frozen cookie dough and the walking tacos are two of my all-time favorites. All this talk of food makes me think of all the amazing Fair foods. If I’m going to be at the Fair all 11 days, I better start making a list now of all the things I’m going to want to eat! One of the first things I’ll have to eat is a corndog, because corndogs are a Fair tradition. Speaking of corndogs and Fair traditions, are you ready for the Corndog Kickoff? It’s going to be here before you know it, so be sure to mark your calendars for July 12. While you are marking your calendar, be sure to mark July 1 as well. That is the day all Iowan of the Day nominations need to be received by. If you haven’t found anyone to nominate yet, don’t worry, you’ve still got two months to send in the nomination. Examples of nominations can be found at www.blueribbonfoundation.org/iotd. And just one more thing to mark your calendars with, the 2014 Iowa State Fair. August 7-17. Only 98 days away!

-Emily

 

Save the Date - 2014 Corndog Kickoff

April 30, 2014
drewnorton's picture

Save the Date for the 2014 Corndog Kickoff, scheduled for July 12. More details about becoming a 2014 Patron, purchasing tickets, or donating an auction item can be found on our website. 

 

Phone Calls and Flowers

April 24, 2014
Intern's picture

They say April showers bring May flowers. Well, if that’s the case, we should have all kinds of May flowers blooming in the next couple of weeks! Though all of this rain makes me want to just stay in bed, there is still much to be done at the Blue Ribbon Foundation. Last week I sent out all the mailings for the Iowan of the Day program. I’ve been working on them all month, so getting them out in the mail was a huge weight off my shoulders. This week I took to the computer and sent out a variety of emails about the Iowan of the Day program. I also made some arrangements for a potential Corndog Kickoff auction package. Robin was nice enough to let me organize this one mostly on my own. It has been a really cool experience for me because it has given me the opportunity to completely take responsibility for the package and make it something I know people will enjoy. One thing that comes with organizing a kickoff auction package is making phone calls to arrange all the details. Prior to organizing this package, I hadn’t spent much time on the phone. So making my first official phone call was slightly terrifying. There were all sorts of questions running through my mind. Such as: what do I say? What do I do? Do I have the right information? What if I say the wrong thing? Robin was helpful in providing me with information about the Corndog Kickoff, calming some of my nerves. Overall the conversations have been successful and I can’t wait to put the finishing details on this awesome auction package. Since we’ve been talking about the phone, I’ll also tell you that this was the first week I came into the office and had messages. Coming into work today with my message button lit up made me feel so official! And returning the phone calls made me feel even more official; plus it wasn’t scary at all. Come to think of it, the phones aren’t really all that scary anymore. Everything in life is a little scary in the beginning, but once you get used to it, it can be a lot of fun!

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Emily

 

Happy Spring!

April 9, 2014
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Happy Thursday!

What a beautiful day it is today! The temperature has officially reached the 70s, and that added sunshine is the best. I think this means it is officially spring.
This beautiful weather makes me think it’s about Fair time! But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet, there is still much to be done. This week I stayed busy editing and signing letters, as well as stuffing envelopes for the Iowan of the Day mailings. I have signed many letters and my hand still does not hurt (here’s hoping I’ll feel the same way after I have signed the rest of the letters!!) I also spent some time with the Corndog Kickoff, updating the database on who has attended the event in the past. Updating this database meant getting to spend time working with another new program, Raiser’s Edge. It was a little bit tricky at first, but I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it! Each time I complete another new task, or work with a new program, I feel more and more like I’m getting the hang of this internship. As I’m feeling more comfortable with current tasks, I can’t help but start thinking ahead to future ones, like my media kit. I’m definitely going to have to pull out all of my creativity to come up with a great new theme in May. But, like I said, let’s not jump ahead to May quite yet. For now, I’m still enjoying April and this gorgeous spring weather. 

-Emily

 

Here's the first stack of letters I signed this week!

Intern Updates!

April 3, 2014
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Hello again! I hope you are all having a great week. Today is already Thursday, which means we are so close to the weekend!! Time really has been flying lately, especially with my internship. The month of March went by so quickly, and I just know time is going to keep speeding up. I think that is one of the many things that excites me about this internship, the constant hustle and bustle of the upcoming Fair. Right now I am working on sending out posters and nomination forms for the Iowan of the Day. Nomination forms are not due until July 1, so you still have a while to pick the perfect person to nominate! Also, as we really dive into April, I have been in discussions with Robin about the Corndog Kickoff and the different auction packages. It has been a lot of fun to talk with her about it and learn more about the program in general. As I spend more and more time in the office I become more accustomed to the different tasks I will be completing this summer. From sending emails and making phone calls all summer, to stuffing envelopes this week, to greeting the Iowan’s of the Day at the Fair, I certainly have a variety of different things I will be doing. At least I know I will not be bored!

Have a great weekend! I’ll be sure to update you all again soon 

-Emily

John Putney announcing the Iowan of the Day at the 2013 Fair
 

Introductions

March 26, 2014
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This has been another crazy week at the Blue Ribbon Foundation! But honestly, I am having the time of my life. It has been so much fun to continue meeting people and getting to know the ins and outs of the Foundation. On Friday I went with Jenna to see Walt at the print shop and a variety of other very nice people in the Administration Building. Last week I also got the chance to see the great American Gothic statue (“God Bless America”) which will don the Fairgrounds until the beginning of September. In the office I have continued to put together contact lists and files for the Iowan of the Day nomination forms that will go out in the mail in upcoming weeks. If you know someone who is worthy of being the Iowan of the Day, go to the website and fill out a nomination form! All nominations are due by July 1, 2014.

-Emily

Local Celebrities

March 26, 2014
drewnorton's picture
As much as I hate to admit, one of my guilty pleasures is keeping up with celebrity gossip. Who has lost the most weight, which star is now pregnant, and what couple split this week. There is always drama. For the most part, Iowa stays clear of the celebrity gossip. Of course we have John Wayne, Johnny Carson and Ashton Kutcher that have brought fame to our state. Over the years, there have also been plenty of celebrities that have attended the Iowa State Fair. For the 2014 Fair, there is one local “celebrity couple” that is making a grand appearance. 
 
Iowa native Grant Wood’s most famous painting is currently on the Fairgrounds BUT in the form of a 25-foot statue. The 30,000-pound structure, created by sculptor Seward Johnson, arrived on the Fairgrounds last week and will remain until September 1. It is standing tall in front of Pella Plaza, next to the Livestock Pavilion. 
 
The sculpture is entitled “God Bless America,” and depicts the famous couple – a farmer and his spinster daughter – that Wood painted in 1930. “American Gothic” became one of the most familiar pieces of art in American history. The painting of a farm couple posed before a white house brought the artist instant fame. Don’t forget that the inspiration came from a cottage he had seen in the small Iowa town of Eldon.
 
“American Gothic” is also one of the most parodied pieces of art. In 1996, in true Fair fashion, the painting was sculpted out of butter honoring the Fair's sesquicentennial. The Iowa State Fair is fortunate to be able to display this piece of art. We are thankful to the donors that paid the expenses for the statue to be delivered. The icon was brought on to the Fairgrounds in multiple sections on semi-trucks. I was able to watch the 4 crew members put together the exhibit using a crane. Overall, it went together pretty quickly. 
 
Nothing compares to the Amazingly Amusing Iowa State Fair!  This statue will only contribute to the “biggest show in Iowa”! So make sure you add the “American Gothic” to your list of must see attractions during this year’s Fair. As always, I will continue to do my best to keep all Fair-goers informed with any new Fair celebrity updates. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

New Intern

March 20, 2014
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Hi fair-goers! As it is my first week on the job, I think this is the perfect time to introduce myself. My name is Emily Friedricks and I am one of the three interns for the Blue Ribbon Foundation this summer. I am currently finishing up my junior year at Central College as a Communication Studies major and a Psychology minor. At Central, I write for our newspaper (The Ray) and play the piano. At the Fair, my project will be the Iowan of the Day Program; and I will be working with everything from the nomination forms, to greeting the winners on the day of their award ceremony. I have attended and loved the Fair all my life, so having the opportunity to spend all summer here is quite a treat. Driving along Grand Ave. this morning instantly put me in a great mood as I remembered all of the fond memories I have of the Fair. I cannot wait to make even more memories this summer. After spending my first few days in the office, I can tell it will be a busy summer, but it will definitely be one of the best summers of my life.

My sister and I at the 2013 Fair

 

 

First Day of Spring

March 20, 2014
drewnorton's picture
Today is the first day of Spring and I can't believe it’s almost the end of March. I’m more than ready for the weather to start warming up. A few personal goals for this Spring: clean out my closet, plant flowers and run outside! I am official burnt out of running on a treadmill. Last fall, I discovered a trail next to my apartment that is the perfect place to avoid traffic and escape to nature. 
 
I’d like to run and explore parts of the Fairgrounds this Spring. I am hoping to find routes that I could use during August to make my job easier. Maybe I can find places to escape the crowds and chaos. Since I will be planning the Fairgrounds 5K again in the Fall (mark your calendar for Sunday, November 2), I going to try and run the race route one of these days.
 
Also on my calendar this Spring is to organize, order, and place all of the giving program items. March 31 is the deadline to get in all of your orders for items to be placed on the Fairgrounds for this year's Fair! This includes placement for bricks, trees, lamp posts, granite pavers and seat plaques.
 
Whether you want to express your love for the Fair, create a memorial for a family member, or surprise a friend; you can do so through one of our giving programs, while also supporting the Blue Ribbon Foundation. 
 
For your convenience, I've linked the different programs below if you're interested in getting something set for Fair 2014. Questions? Shoot me an email and I'll be happy to help!
 
Block by Block - donor wall (this program's deadline isn't until June 30)
Building for the Future - seat plaques and granite pavers
Legacy Terrace - granite pavers and trees
Shine On - lamp posts
Trees for the Fair - plaque in Service Center or plaque at the base of a young tree
 
 
 
 

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