Bicentennial committee disperses funds, disbands
By David Taylor
Managing Editor
The Crosby Bicentennial Committee met for the final time to tie up some loose ends and disperse remaining funds to two area groups who could use the money to benefit the community.
The committee also surprised Donna Davenport with a plaque for her hard work in organizing the event and fulfilling her dream for the bicentennial.
“The plaque reads, ‘With our greatest appreciation, we hereby present Donna Davenport for your hard work and dedication in making Crosby’s 200th birthday celebration a success, you are being honored with much appreciation and gratitude,’” read committee member Eddie Foster.
Davenport, who co-chaired the committee with Kim Harris, formerly with the Crosby-Huffman Chamber of Commerce, opened the meeting by thanking committee members who put in tireless hours over the 18 months leading up to the community- wide event guaranteeing its success.
“This could have never been possible without each of you,” Davenport said to the committee. “I’ve had nothing but wonderful reviews from the bicentennial celebration,” she said.
The auction alone raised over $8,000 for only a few items helping fill the coffers and pay bills.
The committee had ordered 300 cookbooks loaded with Crosby family recipes, many of them the famous kolache and kielbasa delectables, and had to decide how to handle the remaining proceeds.
“We only have a dozen or so remaining and we plan on ordering another 100 for those who didn’t know about the cookbook,” Davenport said.
One committee member suggested splitting the money between the two groups that hosted the event — the chamber and the historical society.
“They [the Historical Society] don’t really have a way to raise money except through their membership fees which are nominal,” said Gene Hicks, Jr. “If they have to buy another air conditioning unit or another big-ticket item, it would be difficult for them to raise the money.”
Velma Ellison also mentioned that the chamber has also been in dire straits financially following the pandemic.
“We’re refinancing the building to make some changes. They’re struggling more now than they ever have in their existence,” she said.
The chamber is a 501(c6) and incapable of receiving tax-deductible donations from the public, however, could receive the funds from the bicentennial committee since its not considered a tax-free donation.
All committee members were agreeable to the split and unanimously voted to award both the chamber and historical society $9,423.63 in remaining funds.
Hicks recommended the money be split between the two organizations and give the cookbooks to the Historical Society to sell in their gift shop and keep the proceeds.
The final act of the committee was a vote to award all the paperwork from the event to the Crosby Historical Society for safekeeping and for memorial sake.