Shuttle buses, elephant ear booth canceled at Benton Franklin Fair due to COVID worries
The annual county fair is all about the food for some people.
But on Friday, organizers of one popular food booth canceled plans for the upcoming Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo because of a lack of volunteers due to ongoing COVID concerns.
The announcement came just two hours after Ben Franklin Transit said it has canceled all shuttle bus rides to the fair for the same health concerns.
The Pasco Kennewick Rotary Club announced that its board voted not to sell elephant ears — fried, flattened pieces of dough coated in butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Rotary cited not only the lack of people to staff the booth for five days because of health reasons, but also concerns for members’ safety “due to the recent spike of COVID infections in the community.”
“The Board reluctantly felt compelled to not hold Elephant Ear sales this year at the fair out of caution for our membership,” said Frank Grunenfelder, president of Pasco Kennewick (PK) Rotary Club.
The elephant ear booth is the club’s biggest fundraiser, bringing in around $50,000 during the 2019 fair.
The 2020 fair was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A news release from the Rotary Club said the proceeds support a number of charitable causes, including local scholarships for high school graduates, other nonprofit charities and international projects.
The club will be seeking donations, using financial reserves and redoubling its other fundraising efforts, such as sales of tickets for the upcoming Mid-Columbia Duck Race. That event on Sept. 25 is organized by all area Rotary Clubs.
“The Club regrets not being able to offer this fair tradition for 2021 but does plan to be there in 2022,” said Grunenfelder.
No shuttle bus rides
Ben Franklin Transit officials said this will be the first time in more than 30 years that BFT hasn’t been a part of the annual summer event.
“Our hearts are heavy and we are saddened to share this news. It has always been an honor and privilege to support our local fair and our community,” said Gloria Boyce, general manager for Ben Franklin Transit.
The decision was made after consulting with the Benton Franklin Health District over a recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the Tri-Cities, Boyce said in the news release.
She added that they believe it is the best way to keep their employees safe.
“This was such a tough decision and we kindly ask for everyone’s understanding,” she said.
The fair was canceled last year by the pandemic but officials plan to open Tuesday, Aug. 24, for five days. The transit system planned free rides to help with parking at the fairgrounds in east Kennewick.
For more information on BFT COVID precautions, go to www.bft.org/safety.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 4:22 PM.