20060916 A reprint of my Westminster Fallfest column from Sept 22 2004

A reprint of my Westminster Fallfest column from September 22 2004

September 16^th, 2006

The picture above is from the 1983 Fallfest celebration when it was still held on Westminster’s Main Street. Today, the annual celebration takes up a two-block area at the Westminster Playground. For directions, click here.

In 2004, I was writing a weekly column for the Westminster Advocate. Many of those columns are not available on-line. My column, on the Westminster Fallfest, which appeared in the paper on September 22, 2004 is one of my most requested for reprints.

Posted below, please find a longer version of the column that appeared in the Westminster Advocate on September 22, 2004.

Please enjoy.

The Westminster Dream Team

September 22nd, 2004 by Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff (2001-2005)

Like many communities, Westminster has its dreamers, its dream keepers and its dream slayers. The dreamers and the dream keepers are the stuff that makes a community a home; a great place to live, do business and raise a family. The dream keepers are citizens - not spectators. The dream keepers say “let’s do it” and then roll up their sleeves and go to work.

The soul of a community is evident in how well it promotes art, music, diversity and culture - and has fun. The integrity of a community is how well it treats the disadvantaged.

Westminster has a vibrant history of coming together in private – public partnerships to help make the community a better place. We also have a history of having a good time. We have parades, carnivals, festivals, celebrations, and we have Fallfest.

Fallfest is in a category all to itself. Fallfest is a wonderful concoction of dreamers and civic-minded generosity; a celebration of community, the arts, culture and music. All the while it raises lots of money and then – it gives it away.

The roots of the Fallfest go back to 1978 when a group of dreamers got together to promote awareness for the renewal of the downtown shopping district.

This built upon a time many years ago when Westminster came together in September for an event sponsored by the Retail Merchants Association called “Westminster Days”.

In an August 29th, 1947 article in the Democratic Advocate, it describes a big parade on Thursday evening and two days of downtown merchant sales on September 25th and 26th, 1947. “The climax…will be on Friday evening … when gifts donated by the merchants will be awarded in the State Armory, Longwell Ave.”

Ron Schroers, of the Fallfest Board (aka The Westminster Dream Team), put together some facts and history for me. During the 1980’s, the volunteers decided to distribute the extra funds generated by Fallfest to support local charities. Ron wrote that “Over the years we have evolved into a multi-cultural and multifaceted organization known as Westminster Fallfest…”

The Westminster Dream team that runs Fallfest includes Michelle Adams, Carol Baublitz, Tom Canon, Joe Cimino, Lori Welsh-Graham, Marshall Green, Roberta Kasik, Brian Kasik, James Lay, Ron Schroers, and Valerie Westbrook.

They work 12 months a year. Each year the Fallfest Board interviews charities and non-profits and selects worthy organizations to benefit from Fallfest. Each charity chosen is required to provide over 300 staff hours throughout the year for Fallfest, thereby, they participate in helping themselves.

Over the years the list of recipients includes a who’s-who of organizations that make quite a positive difference in our community. Organizations such as: ARC – The Association for Retarded Citizens; 4-H Therapeutic Riding; RAD – Residents Attacking Drugs; Rape Crisis Intervention Service; Westminster Volunteer Fire Department; Christmas in April – Carroll County; Carroll Hospice, Inc.; Carroll County Food Sunday (food pantry); Girl Scouts of America – Carroll County; SOS – Senior Overland Service; Mission of Mercy (free medical/dental care); HSP (homeless shelter); Carroll County Foster Parent Association; Carroll County Children’s Fund…to name just a few. Some of the above rely heavily on Fallfest for a majority of their operating capital.

This year’s selected charities include Westminster Kiwanis Club, Human Services Programs of Carroll County, Mission of Mercy, and Habitat for Humanity of Carroll County.

Over the past 25 years Fallfest has distributed in excess of $150,000 to the community through local charities. Each year Fallfest attracts over 40,000 visitors to the downtown Westminster business district. Over $25,000.00 was donated to charities in 2003.

This year’s 2004 Fallfest dates are Sept 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th. Please plan to join your friends and neighbors at the Westminster Playground, have some fun and help the Westminster Dream Team extend a helping hand to so many needy folks in our community. Keep the dream alive.

© Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org www.thetentacle.com Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report www.thewestminstereagle.com www.kevindayhoff.com