FCTA approves grants, 2014 budget

The Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority approved five grant applications as well as its 2014 fiscal year budget on April 30 during its regularly scheduled board of directors meeting.

FCTA’s board of directors approved a budget that calls for $629,200 in total expenses for the 2014 fiscal year. The total available revenue is $637,500.

Grants were also approved for the Fallon Trap Club, Oasis Stampede & Country Fair, Fallon High School Rodeo Club, Spring Wings and the Cowboy Fast Draw Association World Championship.

A $2,500 grant was approved to assist the 16th annual Spring Wings Bird Festival on May 17-19 at the Churchill County Fairgrounds.

The objective of the event is to attract visitors from Northern Nevada and California and to introduce local residents to birding at the Lahontan Valley Wetlands.

FCTA Executive Director Rick Gray described the Spring Wings Bird Festival presentation given by Michael Goddard and Susan Sawyer as “exceptional in detailing the great tours one can experience at the festival” and the various activities that will take place at the fairgrounds.

Gray added that FCTA is hosting a writers familiarization tour (FAM) to Spring Wings this year, and they will have writers from VIA, National Geographic Magazine, Bird Watcher’s Digest and a stringer for Audubon.

“We will integrate these writers into the festival and on some terrific tours in hopes of really growing the awareness of the birding resources in Fallon,” Gray noted. “The Spring Wings Bird Festival is a great example of an event that exposes visitors to the area and the birding opportunities that can be visited at many different times of years — not just during the festival.”

This is an effort to get visitors coming year round to bird Fallon, he added.

The board also approved the following applications:

A $4,000 grant to the Fallon Trap Club to assist in promoting its Nevada Pacific International Trapshooting Association state shoot on May 17-19.

The trap club is hosting scheduled events between April and mid-November.

A $5,000 grant to the 12th annual Oasis Stampede & Country Fair Aug. 2-4 at the fairgrounds.

A $10,000 grant to the Fallon High School Rodeo Club to assist in hosting the Nevada State High School Finals Rodeo. The state event June 12-16 at the fairgrounds. This marks the second straight year the state championship competition has been held in Fallon. The state junior high school finals, which were held in Fallon last year, are May 24-25 in Eureka.

A $14,000 grant to assist the Fastest Gun Alive: World Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw on Oct. 1-6 at the fairgrounds. The event is expected to attract more than 200 shooters, in addition to spectators, vendors and staff, according to Cal Eilrich, the association’s chief executive officer.

Eilrich indicated in his application two new attractions are planned for this year — a Cowboy Mounted Shoot at the Green Arena and a Civil War Encampment at the fairgrounds park.

CFDA has more than 3,000 members across the U.S. and other countries, according to Eilrich, who added the number was about 1,200 when the fast draw event first came to Fallon.

“Our event in Fallon is the ‘Mecca’ of Cowboy Fast Draw, so they all feel compelled to come here when they can,” he noted.