RBC | The Range Call committee — an all-volunteer group of local residents — came out of 2022 a little bruised and battered. The event lost money, volunteers and sponsors were in short supply, and there was upheaval within the committee itself. Heading into planning for 2023, the group is ready to right the ship.
“We’re trying to bring it back,” said committee chair Travis Goodwin. Goodwin and his wife Jayna, who have served on the committee for several years, are joined by new and returning members with a common goal: making Range Call the best event it can be.
“This is the biggest board we’ve had,” Jayna said. “It has been five of us doing everything for the last three or four years.”
Joining the Goodwins on the committee this year are Molly Merriam, Cody and Jessi Crooks, Chevy and Emily Mohr, Bob O’Brien and Hallie Blunt. Also in attendance at the December meeting were John and Jasmine Mlakar and Kelly Conway. “It’s a diverse group,” Jayna said. “Fresh faces and fresh ideas.”
The search for the 2023 artist to headline the Range Call concert is currently underway. The annual concert is the event’s biggest expense — just renting the stage costs upwards of $25,000 — and the price requested by top artists can easily exceed $500,000. Asked how artists are chosen, Travis explained that the committee submits a budget to a booking agency, who sends back a list of performers. Those performers are then contacted to see if they’re willing to come to Meeker for the right price and at the right time. The process can take months.
Other Range Call-related events are less time-intensive and less expensive, but are equally important to the celebration. The committee is discussing the possibility of bringing back some previously popular activities, and adding some new ones, with a goal of making Range Call more inclusive and family friendly. Volunteers and sponsors are critical to the event’s success, and help and suggestions are welcome.
The committee meets at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at The Mexican House until weekly meetings commence in June. The next meeting will be Jan. 18, 2023. For questions, comments, or to get involved as a sponsor or volunteer, visit https://www.facebook.com/RangeCall/ or email [email protected].
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
