Sandi Hoover/Nevada AppealNevada Day Chairman Reg Creasey, left, shows off the latest trend in hometown parades - a push cart float which the Nevada Day Committee is entering this year.
As Nevada gears up to celebrate the 145th anniversary of its admission to the United States, parade organizers are hoping Nevadans will want to get more involved than ever.
Like the rest of the country, the Nevada Day Committee has been struggling through economic hard times of its own, said Reg Creasey, chairman of the committee, but things are starting to look up. The committee's budget is $70,000 this year, and raising the funds is always challenging.
"It's working out really good - not as well as last year, but we're in good shape," Creasey said. "All the people who supported us last year are back, and even though we're cutting back some, it's just awesome."
Past chairman Ron Bowman, a member of the committee who is in charge of logistics, said a lot goes into putting on the parade and that community support is vital.
"This event only exists if the community gets behind it. Most people come to the parade and say, 'Boy, this is swell,' then they go home. They don't know how much goes into it. It's really hard to put on a parade," Bowman said.
Carson City annually donates to Nevada Day, said City Manager Larry Werner. The $25,000 came from the general fund's $356,000 community support grants, which help various organizations, he said.
A recent golf tournament sponsored by the Carson City Kiwanis Club and the Nevada Day Committee netted $11,000, Creasey said.
"Two groups who were both struggling came together for this and will split the profits half and half," Creasey said of the Kiwanis collaboration.
Another upcoming fundraiser is a "Save Our Nevada Day" Celebration Dinner from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Carson Nugget Banquet Hall. For $30, diners will be served a three-course dinner, with music and dancing. Seating is limited. All profits will benefit Nevada Day.
New this year, Creasey said, is the "Friends of the Nevada Day Parade" participation opportunity. For $100, individuals can sponsor the parade, the single-jack rock drilling contest or the pinewood derby.
"We've gotten a lot of response to this," he said. "That tells me there are a lot of people out there who care."
Go to www.nevadaday.com to become a Friend of Nevada Day.
Creasey said he's pleased with the response this year.
"In the past, we relied on big sponsorships, but Carson City is a small, close-knit group, and our long-term success is going to come from smaller sponsorships," he said. "What we're finding is that people are coming forward and saying, 'By golly, here's my $100.' Our future lies in people getting involved."
Besides financial support, the committee is looking for volunteers.
"We need volunteers to work in merchandise booths and other places," he said.