The Snyder Chamber of Commerce board of directors awarded $12,000 in hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds during Monday’s meeting.
“I think with where our hotels and our community stands, we’ve made good decisions this evening,” board chairman Dr. Jason Cave said.
Western Texas College head basketball coach Andre Owens was awarded $3,000 for the WTC Men’s Basketball Classic. He requested $4,200 to cover the cost of the tournament.
Owens plans to use the funds to bring in referees and to set up hospitality rooms for the three-day event. The tournament will take place Nov. 9-11, and Owens expects five teams to participate.
Snyder Trade Days coordinator Michelle Bird requested $3,200 and was awarded $2,500. The annual event includes local and out-of-town vendors and is the only two-day sale of its kind in the surrounding area, Bird said.
Bird will use the funds to cover advertising costs. In addition to boosting her posts on Facebook to target various demographics, Bird also purchases post cards to send out to vendors and posters to put up around town.
Snyder Trade Days will be held Dec. 2-3 at the armory in Towle Park.
The board awarded Plein Air on the Square $1,000 of its $1,200 request. Event coordinators Nathalie Kelly and Patrick Schneider were unable to attend the meeting, so Scurry County Museum Director Daniel Schlegel and Laura Greenwood stood in for them.
According to Schlegel, Plein Air is a French art movement that draws artists outside to do their work. Art forms include painting, photography and sculpting.
Funds will be used to provide an art demonstration Friday night, which will be free to the public. Plein Air will take place on the Snyder downtown square Nov. 3-4.
Historic Scurry County, Inc., (HSC) President Elyndabeth Toland was awarded $1,500, the full amount of her request. The funds will go toward advertising for two separate events.
The first event is the Cemetery Lantern Tours, which will take place Oct. 20-21. During the tours, attendees will be guided through Snyder Cemetery by lantern light and encounter costumed actors portraying pioneer men and women.
The second event is HSC’s annual Christmas event, which will take place Nov. 30 at Heritage Village. The event will be used to kick off the Christmas season and includes baked goods, village tours and a visit from Santa Claus.
According to Toland, proceeds from the two events go toward the restoration and preservation of Heritage Village.
Snyder High School Athletic Hall of Honor organizers Rose Ragland and Larry Scott were also awarded the full amount of their $1,000 request. The 1981 and 1982 volleyball teams will be among the honorees inducted this year.
Funds raised during the luncheon will go toward scholarships for Snyder High School students, and according to Scott, the Hall of Honor gives about $3,000 in scholarships every year.
The Hall of Honor luncheon will be held Oct. 13 at Martha Ann Woman’s Club.
Snyder We Care President Suzanne Sweeney requested $6,000 for Save Second Base and was awarded $3,000.
The annual music festival will be moved to Gail this year, but funds raised at the event will still pay for mammograms and benefit cancer patients in Scurry County.
According to Sweeney, Snyder We Care paid for $4,450 in mammograms last year and $21,088 over the past seven years. Organizers have also donated $14,530 directly to cancer patients in Scurry County.
Save Second Base will be held Oct. 14 and will include artists Highway 101 and Jesse Raub Jr.
A change to the chamber’s by-laws were discussed and a vote may be taken, depending on chamber member voting. The proposed change will be revisited during next month’s meeting.
During the Gold Coat update, Janet Spence announced that the group received a $250 donation from Snyder Wheels Car Club on Sept. 12. The Gold Coats also donated $250 to the Texas Baptist Men’s Association for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.