Winnemucca's Convention and Visitors Authority gives funding support to many of the events that locals and visitors enjoy throughout the year. The board recently sent out their yearly request for a heads-up from the organizations and events that will be seeking WCVA support for 2015 and an indication of how much support they will be requesting.
Nearly 30 responses have been received.
"The list isn't complete; there will be more," WCVA Secretary Shelly Noble told the board.
Many events and organizations requesting WCVA funding this year are going to have to work harder to have a chance at getting the full amount they've requested. WCVA board members decided to approve funding allocations that, in many cases, were under the requested amounts.
They noted that they were open to reconsidering their original approval amounts if those who made the requests are able to come before the board in person to make a sufficiently convincing presentation showing additional funding is essential and warranted, based on the return on investment.
WCVA joins many other areas of the community in feeling the pinch as area mines cut back on exploration and employment and WCVA's funding source - hotel and motel room tax, is reduced with fewer short-term mining contractors staying in local accommodations.
In spite of the belt-tightening, WCVA will still be actively contributing to many local events next year in a continuing effort to attract visitors and business to Winnemucca, WCVA Chair Terry Boyle said.
WCVA regularly funds four-legged events such as barrel racing, cutting, rodeo, and livestock auctioning as well as events featuring wheels, such as the Fifties Fever antique car show and the Run-a-Mucca motorcycle rally. The funding list even includes a more unusual mode of travel, with a request from the Winnemucca Balloon Festival.
WCVA support has helped Winnemucca become a premier wrestling location in northern Nevada, said board member Jim Billingsley. Hundreds of young people and their families spend time and money in Winnemucca every year for events such as the Nevada 1-A Zone Wrestling Duals and Lowry High School duals wrestling, the NIAA State High School Wrestling Tournament, High Desert Challenge Wrestling, the Cody Louk Invitational Wrestling Tournament, and USA Wrestling.
A Regional High School Basketball Tournament is scheduled for February of 2015.
The livestock events center and the fairgrounds should be kept plenty busy for the coming year with funding requests for events like the Nevada State High School Rodeo Finals, Junior High School Rodeo Finals, and Silver State International Rodeo Finals. Those rodeo finals competitions involve multiple visitor days and tourism dollars, said WCVA Director Kim Petersen.
The Chamber of Commerce has their request in for the $15,000 that WCVA contributes every year to help keep Winnemucca's Visitors' Center open inside the Convention Center east hall.
Some of the room tax funding has gone to support Winnemucca organizations that operate for the benefit of locals and visitors, including Winnemucca's Trap Club, Winnemucca Little League Baseball, Northern Nevada Racing Association, and Winnemucca Motocross Association.
Support for events held locally is often divided into three pots - some of the money comes in the form of a grant, with no pay-back requested. Often, another portion of the money comes in the form of an underwriting, with the understanding that if the event shows a profit, the WCVA funds should be repaid. The third type of support funding comes in the form of a grant to cover the rent charged for use of facilities including the convention centers, fairgrounds, events center, or exhibit hall, giving local organizations and individuals a leg-up on their non-profit or charity fund raising.
WCVA has already committed its yearly grant to help pay for the Drug-Free Graduation party for Lowry High School's Class of 2015. Board member Don Stoker said that was one event WCVA was pleased to help fund with its proven track-record of no senior student being hurt or killed on graduation night since the all-night chaperoned party was first held over two decades ago.
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