Fayetteville’s A&P gives away $182,850, tables lottery plans at visitors center
Banner, News — By Christopher Spencer on November 9, 2009 at 11:33 pmBy Christopher Spencer
Ozarks Unbound
FAYETTEVILLE — A Bikes, Blues and BBQ spin off, a sports competition, a theater company and the Walton Arts Center were the big winners among a laundry list of recipients who were awarded $182,850 today by the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Committee.
The awards come from revenue raised by the 2 percent Hotel-Motel-Restaurant tax, also known as the HMR.
The big winners:
AAA All-Star Games ($30,000) – The Arkansas Activities Association is organizing this event which features girls and boys from around the state playing a number of sports competitively. It will be the 55th annual event and the third year of a five-year commitment to hold it in Fayetteville.
Walton Arts Center Artosphere ($30,000) – Artosphere: Arkansas’ Arts and Nature Festival is a month-long arts festival designed to raise the profile of Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas as an arts destination. It will include more than 220 artistic events throughout the region. Organizers project that 25,000 to 30,000 people will attend.
Theatre Squared ($20,000) – The money will be used to market more than 50 performances of four professional productions and the Arkansas New Play Festival during 2010. The theater company hopes to bring in 7,000 people to Fayetteville.
Bikes Babes and Bling ($20,000) – The event is designed as the South’s first motorcycle rally that caters specifically to women. Proceeds will be donated to local charities that support women and children. Organizers expect between 10,000 and 25,000 people to attend.
Awards were made to the following groups:
| Event Date | Name of group | 2009 Approved | 2010 Requested | 2010 Approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 23-25 | AAA All Star Games | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| June 23-25 | AAA Coaches Clinic and Golf Tournament | $15,000 | $17,250 | $17,250 |
| Year round | Arkansas Air Museum | $7,000 | $5,300 | $5,300 |
| Sept. - Nov. | Arts Live | $0 | $6,000 | $1,000 |
| July 15-17 | Bikes, Blues and Bling | $0 | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| May 21-22 | Bikes, Blues & Hot Rods Too | $0 | $17,000 | $10,000 |
| Feb. 12-16 | Committee for Mardi Gras Fayetteville High School | $0 | $3,500 | $2,000 |
| Feb. 11 | DECA Marketing Association Prom Fashion Show | $3,000 | $3,000 | $1,500 |
| March 12-14 | NWA Coaches Clinic | $5,800 | $7,000 | $1,600 |
| April 29 | 7 A State Track Meet | $0 | $5,500 | $1,500 |
| May 7-8 | Soccer Weekend of Champions | $1,750 | $2,500 | $1,000 |
| May 21-22 | Baseball and Softball Weekend of Champions | $4,000 | $5,000 | $2,500 |
| Oct. 1-2 | Four State Challenge Volleyball Classic | $0 | $5,000 | $1,000 |
| Dec. 3-5, 2009 | Lady Bulldog Classic | $0 | $5,000 | $0 |
| March 12-13 | Debate and Forensic Home Tournament - Fayetteville High School | $0 | $3,000 | $0 |
| Apr. 3 | Iron Pig Festival | $0 | $5,000 | $2,500 |
| May 6-9 | Joe Martin Stage Race | $3,000 | $10,000 | $3,200 |
| Mar 14-16 | National School Boards Association | $0 | $6,900 | $2,000 |
| Year Round | Ozarks Military Museum | $1,500 | $10,000 | $1,000 |
| June 20 | Ozark Valley Triathalon | $1,000 | $4,000 | $500 |
| Feb. - May | Theatre Squared | $10,000 | $22,000 | $20,000 |
| June 19 | Tri-Sport Kid's and Family Triathalon | $0 | $2,500 | $1,500 |
| May 26-30 | U of A Solar Splash | $5,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 |
| June 4-6 and 11-13 | NCAA Baseball Regionals | $0 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| March 12-13 | NCAA Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field National Championships | $0 | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| Feb. 26-28 | SEC Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field National Championships | $0 | $3,500 | $3,500 |
| May 13-15 | SEC Softball Championships | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| May | Walton Arts Center Artosphere | $10,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 |
Lady Luck in the Visitor’s Bureau?
The commission tabled the idea today of selling lottery tickets at the Fayetteville Visitors Center until they get an OK from an attorney or possibly a legal opinion from the Arkansas Attorney General’s office.
Fayetteville city attorney Kit Williams was critical of the idea today at the committee meeting. He said lottery ticket sales could intrude on other retail businesses and detract from the center’s mission of promoting travel in the area.
However, he said he is not the attorney for the commission and they will need separate legal advice to make that determination.
The commission is seeking that advice now.
See our ongoing coverage: Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission
SIMILAR POSTS
- Walton Arts Center set to bring “artosphere” festival to Fayetteville in May at 12:55 pm on January 21, 2010
- Walton Arts Center and The AMP announce Indigo Girls performance at Artosphere | Press Release at 9:43 pm on February 28, 2010
- Fayetteville Visitors Bureau wants to sell lottery tickets | CF at 10:50 am on November 4, 2009
- Should the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau sell lottery tickets? | OU Poll at 1:52 pm on November 12, 2009
- Artosphere arts and sustainability festival’s web site goes live | CF at 4:53 pm on February 1, 2010
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9 Comments
I would love to know why two of the requests were denied completely. How do they decide how much money to give to who? What is the criteria? I would hope that we would give money to kids and education every chance we get. Yes yes, I know there are those of you in the public who feel that unless you have children you shouldn’t have to pay a penny towards education. I’m doing my best to forget about you.
Think this is real simple, Morgan: those two events won’t generate much money for the area. Sad. Chuck D was right.
It is sad, isn’t it? There isn’t anything that generates a bigger bang for the buck, and the economy in the long term, than investing in kids and education. An educated populace drives everything else. It boggles my mind that there are people who just don’t get that. There was an asshat at the square this past summer who suggested that only people with children should have to pay taxes for schools. Cause ummmmm yeah, no one else benefits from educating children. Moron.
Now it’s been a long day and my brain is tired so please clue me in on who Chuck D is and what he was right about?
Chuck D is the front man for Public Enemy. This was before Flavor Flav was a sitcom. They were that rare rap group that was more interested in real social commentary, not “social commentary” consisting of potshots at “shawtys,” gays, etc. Probably their biggest “hit” was a song called “Can’t Truss It” and one of my favorite lyrics ended in Chuck’s rhyme that “it’s all about money.” The lyrical snippet:
“I been givin’
Haven’t got
Classify us in the have-nots
Fightin’ haves
‘Cause it’s all about money”
The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLw4CHe2_Mg