A little over two weeks ago we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of Green River with the arrival of the transcontinental railroad. The event was well attended and full of old-fashioned fun. We are grateful for the support of the residents that celebrated with us and helping to foster a deeper sense of our community roots.
From behind the scenes, I’d like to shed some light on the partnership and collaboration it takes to plan and put on an event of this scale. Partnership is the key word. Lots of it. And for this event in particular, there were five organizations that came together with ideas, resources, expertise, and dedication.
Sweetwater County Historical Museum was the anchor and persistence that brought this event to fruition. Brie Blasi and her staff were incredibly creative and brought forth the history that was the spirit of the celebration, and the foundation of our city. Many of the ideas, such as the tent-town setup, the tours, and the contests were drawn up by the Museum. This event was important to them, and they showed up in kind and out of budget to make it a success.
Getting to know the museum staff, their work ethic, and their passion for Green River was wonderful. Over 600 people toured the U.P. Depot with Brie and benefited from her depth of knowledge as a historian. Have you been to the museum lately? It’s right here in Green River and its free admission.
The Green River Chamber of Commerce has a lot of experience running events in Green River. Their expertise in organizing and coordinating details was critical during our planning. Lisa Herrera and her staff were dependable and always on top of the meetings, vendors and volunteers. Their knowledge of our community meant they knew who to call when we needed something, even the out of the ordinary things. Their continued partnership is such an asset. The Chamber Board of Directors and the Hole in the Wall Gang were a big support and major contributors to the event in both planning and the day of.
Sweetwater County Library jumped in and took on the children’s games and activities. They were a key member of the planning team and brought all kinds of ideas to the table. They were happy to take on seemingly little things that didn’t always stay little, and offered help with details to keep things moving forward. The library is another gem in our community, and great partners to work with.
The Green River Urban Renewal Agency/Main Street is yet another organization that knows how to put on a party. Jennie Melvin, her staff and board brought significant experience with the vendors, event management, and point of sale. They donated time, funds, and equipment. Jennie took on elements of the event in whole and we knew she had it covered. They are great partners and so easy to work with.
The city of Green River, of course, contributed significantly to the event. It took three departments working together in planning the event. The Parks and Recreation department did so much heavy lifting, literally, to set up and take down the event. The mayor was a good sport showing up in time period dress to kick of the event with his speech. The support of our administration and funding the event was foundational to its success.
There were many, many volunteers and donations that contributed to the event to make it successful as well. I encourage you to follow city of Green River to hear about them and check out the great photographs.
Yes, it takes funding, time and effort to make anything happen.
The partnership across organizations is what makes programs and events like the 150th Celebration possible. More than that, the partnership makes us stronger as a community and more effective as organizations for the long run.
Note from Brie Blasi: This event sure proved that the city also has a fantastic asset in Amanda Cavaz.
The way she jumped in, as a new city employee, with a just a few short months left ensured everything from coordinating the city departments to permits, donations, and really creative vendors that brought the whole event together. She wrote this article to thank all our amazing partners, but we all know it would not have happened without her.
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