Bank giving away up to $5,000 for good causes at Fall Festival this Saturday in Meeker

MEEKER | You can get $5 just for showing up Saturday at the Mountain Valley Bank Fall Festival. The annual event, which has provided almost $125,000 to area non-profit groups during the last 13 years, is co-sponsored by Mountain Valley Bank, the Eastern Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Park District and White River Electric Association.
“This is a great event with a lot of synergy between private industry, the community coming together, and our non-profit groups,” said Mountain Valley Bank President Tawny Halandras.
Pioneers Medical Center starts the day early with its annual Scrub Shirt Classic 5K walk/run and 1 mile fun run. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the courthouse pavilion. The entry fee is $15 for adults and $10 for youth 12 and under and includes a race day shirt. Get your exercise done before you go to the Fall Festival to indulge in all that festival food.
The bank plans to distribute up to $5,000 in “bank bucks,” $5 per attendee. Those bank bucks can be exchanged at any of almost 30 food and game vendors representing local non-profits. There will be root beer floats, a pie contest and auction, water pulled pork, corn on the cob and more. Games include an archery shoot, water balloon basketball, bean bag toss, stacking cups and more. Additional free bank bucks can be earned by bringing non-perishable food items for the Meeker Food Bank, and by “liking” Mountain Valley Bank on Facebook.
“It’s one of the largest—if not the largest—food drives for the food bank every year,” Halandras said.
If you (or your children) run out of bank bucks, you’re welcome to spend “real” money at any of the booths.
After the event, participating non-profit groups turn in their bank bucks and receive a check from Mountain Valley Bank.
“We provide the venue,” Halandras said. “How successful it is really depends on how many people attend.”
The rec district provides the prize booth, where winners from the games can choose their prizes.
This year attendees will also celebrate the grand re-opening of Town Park, this year’s location for the Fall Festival, previously held downtown. The park has been closed for renovation all summer. The rec district has put in a lot of work and money to renovate the park.
A ribbon cutting and prize drawings will take place between 1:30-2 p.m. Pick up your prize ticket at the Fall Festival bank bucks table and take it to the ERBM tent for a chance to win.