Durant residents, Glen and Judy Swanson have given $5,000 to the Muscatine County Fair Event Center project. The Swansons farm in the Durant area and have three daughters Julie (Rick) Kuehn, Glenda (Doug) Schroeder, and Bonnie (Todd) Duckett. Glen and Judy also have seven grand children and eleven great grandchildren.
“Our kids and grandkids were and are in 4-H and participate in the fair. We are four generations strong, and we hope our family continues to grow and love the fair like we do,” said Glen. “We have loved the fair our entire lives and so do our kids and grandkids. We think this project is going to have a huge impact on the fair as a whole and on our County.”
Glen and Judy started coming to the fair when their daughters were young. They started attending the open cattle shows and were very involved in the Angus Association. As their girls got older, they joined 4-H and were exhibitors at the fair. Fair Manager, Kelsey Meyers, said fair participation is a strong tradition for many families.
“Many of our patrons and supporters have a long history of fair participation,” said Meyers. “Anytime we receive large corporate gifts or grants, we have families that step up to help match those funds. They love the fair and we can’t do it without them. I’m grateful for the generosity of the Swanson family and their years of support.”
The Swanson’s feel the fair is extremely important for youth. 4-H and FFA members commit months of preparation to projects, which they exhibit at the fair. The Swansons feel this teaches responsibility and a good work ethic, both as individuals and in groups. Each year, the Swansons look forward to socializing with people from around the county and seeing friends they may only see once a year.
The Swanson gift will also go towards the matching requirement of the Kent Foundation gift. Glen’s father, Oscar Swanson, was good friends with the Kent Family and they spent a lot of time together at Angus Association cattle shows. Glen and Judy both know how important the fair is to the Kent Family and want to thank them for their generous donation to help make the Event Center possible. They hope their gift inspires others to participate in the match.
The new event center is much needed. The current Activity Center has served its purpose and needs many updates and repairs. Building new is the best financial model for the fair, and the fair board hopes to start construction this fall. Currently, they are working with an architect on blueprints that will be sent out for bids this spring.
“We have a soft spot for the fair,” said Judy. “The fair has done so much for our family and we really can’t put a price tag on it.”