By Carissa Sitki
Calhoun Community Foundation (CCF) hosted an informational meeting regarding new Calhoun County business opportunities last Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rastello Room in Hardin.
The event was open to the community and the speakers included:
Beth Bear of Great Rivers & Routes discussed Tourism as an Economic Driver;
Emma Lundin, a PhD student at the University of Illinois who phoned into the meeting, discussed RV Parks Increasing Demand & Opportunity; Kyle Godar of the Calhoun County Highway Department discussed Update on Access; and Cyndi Borrowman of PCRE introduced the Calhoun Growth Association. Mary Louise Helbig emceed the event.
Bear was the first to speak, encouraging Calhoun businesses to take advantage of area tourism, including cruise ships that dock in Alton.
“There are lots of tourists visiting the area,” said Bear. “Cruise ships with 100s of passengers dock in Alton, your market is larger than you think.”
Bear went on to encourage any interested Calhoun businesses to look into partnering with the cruise ships to line up excursions in the county which could potentially guarantee visitors and customers.
According to Bear, there are state and federal grants that can be utilized, such as the near $75,000 RISE grant that Hardin recently received.
“Keep planning so you’re eligible for grant funds,” said Bear. “Some grants require a fund-match, but state grants and federal grants can be matched against each other to cover the county’s portion. Fund-matching is important.”
Bear also emphasized that Calhoun’s natural beauty is appealing to tourists.
“It’s sometimes hard to think of the place you grew up as a destination,” said Bear.
Bear concluded her speech with some added encouragement and her belief in Calhoun’s value as a destination.
“You need to start thinking of yourselves as the very pretty girl at the dance,” said Bear.
Lundin spoke next, remotely, addressing the attendees regarding RV tourism in Calhoun. Helbig introduced Lundin and explained why RV tourism is important.
“One challenge Calhoun has with tourism is that there is very limited lodging,” said Helbig.
Lundin cited some statistics regarding RV travelers and why they are a valuable market.
“12 percent of rural travelers stay in RV parks and they spend 15.5 percent more money than the average rural travelers,” said Lundin. “By promoting RV tourism, you can potentially attract future residents into the area as well.”
Finally, Borrowman discussed the Calhoun Growth Association, which is currently just in the “idea phase.”
“The Calhoun Growth Association will be formed as a 501 c 6, membership-based, non-profit organization,” said Borrowman. “Its goal is to further the interests of businesses in Calhoun County so that our businesses and community members can prosper.”
Additionally, there was a Question and Answer Session following the speakers’ presentations.
CCF is a non-profit organization (501 (c) 3) registered with the state of Illinois. CCF is focused on preserving the county’s heritage while ensuring our community members benefit from effective progress.
For more information about CCF, visit their Facebook page: @CalhounIL.
