Cowboy triple play in Lamar
We had a fun event in Lamar (Prowers County) last night, which I felt was a good example of how to make one get-together produce extra returns for all those involved.
This was the annual Lamar Education Association’s Back To School picnic. Wes McKinley, HD 64 Rep, brought his guitar, BBQ grill and the burgers to cook on it (natural beef from his own ranch!). The other guests were Beverly Ingle, President of the Colorado Education Association and Norman Milks, Director of the CEA Southeast UniServ.
It was a wins-for-all situation. Lamar teachers and their families got food, fun and a little recognition. The local CEA chapter got to look good in front of their leadership, and the leadership got to reach out and make personal connections to them and to Wes. Naturally the personal connection thing works right back the other way for Wes–not all Lamar teachers are Dems, by a long shot, and he made a good impression on the group. There was also coverage from the Lamar Ledger, and possibly also the new independent paper, the Lamar Buzz.
Prowers only has about 9,000 registered voters, split approximately in thirds by D/I/R affiliations. Our county Dem group is making an effort to increase our public presence, taking any chance we can find to make a showing at local events. (Oddly enough, our opposite numbers from the GOP seem to be getting a little shy….) We are lucky to have an area Representative like Wes who goes out of his way (hundreds of miles out of his way!) to serve his constituency — and not just by cooking for them!
I’m sure events like this are much more complicated to host in the medium and large counties, but I’m also sure the rewards would be even greater in terms of future support, votes, and new active members. Why not think up something to host in YOUR town soon?
