Quality increasing for Grant County 'premier' event

Lone fund-raiser provides means for GCEDC's programs

GRANT COUNTY — There's still time to reserve a place in what the Grant County Economic Development Council considers an essential event.

The organization's sole fund-raiser, the Duel in the Desert golf tournament and accompanying Party on the Green, will take place Aug. 5.

"It's the only fund-raiser the EDC has for the entire year," GCEDC manager of communications and research Jon Smith said. "It generates a significant amount of revenue so that we can continue to do the programs that we do."

Yahoo! Inc., will be the first-ever title sponsor for the event. The company closed on a deal to purchase 50 acres of property for a 110,000 square-foot data storage center from the Port of Quincy earlier this month.

"After Yahoo! was getting more serious about their decision to locate in Quincy, during the same visit (as a Yahoo! crews assisted with renovations at the historic Reiman-Simmons House in April), they committed to be the sponsor at that level," Smith said. "They wouldn't sponsor an event if we hadn't have been a help to them. It helps to support the EDC so we can continue to do the same kinds of projects like Yahoo! and Microsoft, but also, I think, demonstrates that these companies do value the work that we do here, that it is essential in a part to them locating here."

Over two-thirds of the tickets to the Party on the Green had already been purchased earlier this week, Smith said, noting many area business leaders will be in attendance for the festivities.

This will be Smith's first Duel and Party in his capacity with the GCEDC. He admitted to not golfing very often, but said he is looking forward to the reward of seeing it go off without a hitch.

"We put a lot of effort into it on behalf of the people who sponsor it to make sure that it is a premier event," he said. "Something that they'll want to come back to again and again, make it better every year."

The tournament and party will be the same format as in previous years, but with more sponsors, there are more benefits, Smith said.

"The quality of everything overall is just coming up a little bit," he said.

Celebrity golfer Jim Davenport, formerly of the San Francisco Giants, will be on hand at the event. Seattle-based band The Penguins will perform. This year's Party on the Green will offer the second silent auction, after last year's proved to be a big hit.

The last day to call in for the $100-per-group rate will be Wednesday, July 5. The last day to sponsor the event and purchase tickets is July 20. To register, call (509) 764-6579.