Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Quad City Forum, a weekly community service program
produced by iHeartMedia to look at the issues and opportunities
that exist in our community. Now here's your hosts for
Quad City Forum, Nott Luke and Denny Linnhowe.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Getting a chance to talk to Rita Farrow, the executive
director Buffalo Bill Museum and big stuff happening.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Rita, thanks again. We had a little problem with our
first interview.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now we're making sure that we get this second one
ready to go. And there's plenty of reason to be
talking about this because it's a big event near the
end of the month about one of our more famous
citizens that was born in the state of Iowa before
it was the state of Iowa. And it's Buffalo Bill
Cody four to.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Eighteen forty six right in Leclair and he became in
his lifetime pat And I think this is amazing, the
most recognizable person on the planet. Yes, that's our guy.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
This event for people to forget the wild West shows.
Buffalo Bill was doing this stuff. He made eight to
ten trips over into Europe yep.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Thirty years and many people twenty thousand people would attend
a single show that would be an evening performance. The
estimate is that ten million people saw that show live.
It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And another fantastic thing was I believe the show at night.
At some point it was the first lighted show, or
at least yeah, lit with electricity.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Electricity became a thing. Of course, he met Thomas Edison
and he played at Madison Square Garden. But the first show,
and I think that was it was around the turn
of the century, nineteen oh eight, was in Hoboken, New Jersey,
and he hired thirty electricians who at the time were
called I think power engineers, but under the lights, like
a thousand candle at lights. So yeah, and then he traveled,
(01:49):
they traveled with the show. It was lit up when
they got to Europe. Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
And that brings up another thing too, because we think
about the history of Buffalo Bill Cody, and we think
about this this famous well we didn't even have the
quad cities back then when he was born, but this
famous resident. And he was also quite the promoter too.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Well, and that's how he became famous. Of course, was
the Wild West Show. And he traveled with a cast
and I think this is amazing, like fifteen hundred people,
most of that travel took place on trains. They would
leave after the evening performance, travel in the middle of
the night, get to the next town at five am.
They had their tent set up for breakfast by six thirty.
(02:33):
And I mean they had to make like eight hundred stakes.
They went through thirty dozen eggs. It was this endeavor was.
I mean, the more I learned about the guy, the
more amazing than it is. But it was a well
oiled machine.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And I liked how you described this here when you
talk about that traveling the group that was with him,
the troop. It was like a traveling boomtown.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
And I love the group that we have coming to
Leclair on June twenty eighth and twenty ninth. Are calling
it the best of the wild West. It's a group
of reenactors from Wisconsin. Wayne Reddick is our very authentic,
very history oriented Buffalo Bill reenactor. But this we did
it last year. We brought it to Cody Elementary and
had two thousand people, which was just an amazing number
(03:16):
for you know, the first time we kind of tried
this and had no idea how it was going to go.
So we're bringing them back this year. But they do
it's fifty people on horseback, the cowboys. Annie Oakley does
her trick shooting acts, and they really do depict many
of those famous acts from the original wild West. This
group is very well considered its history and it is
(03:37):
living history, and they just do a wonderful job. They
set up at Cody Elementary School on fourteen acres and
they actually bring boom count so they they live in
those tents for four days. They cook over campfires, and
they actually live a very authentic they're dressed and period custom.
Even when they're setting up the show, they are, you know,
no zippers, no bel crow.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
They're not letting all people do it with modern tools.
They're setting it up like they would have done absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
You know, they dig up the side and make campfires.
And I have to make a point that when they're done,
Wayne Reddick or Buffalo Bill, he inspects the grounds and
everything has to be put back exactly as it was.
Last year. I heard from the people at Pleasant Valley
when they walked the grounds they didn't find so much
as a bottle cap out of plate the day after
the show. So they're really a wonderful group to deal with,
and we are just delighted to bring them back for
(04:27):
a second year.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
It sounds like they left the place better than it
was before they came.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Well in their beautiful grounds. Cody Elementary, we're a little
concerned this year. Have you and Bob heard about the
traffic jam?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Pat Well, I know that there's a little bit of construction,
and so when you're talking about adding on that construction,
headed it's an understatement, but that construction certainly is going
to cause some issues for people that are wanting to
go over there.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Right Buffalo Belle Museum sits right on the Mississippi River.
We're right on the levee there. LaClair and our next
door neighbors, the Riverboat Twilight, the best neighbor any museum
could possibly have. The Twilight has sponsored last year they shop.
They sponsored shuttle buses to take people from because there's
very limited parking up at Cody Elementary that we recommend
you bring your own chair and you can come down
(05:15):
to the levee. We have two party buses this year,
and I love that Quad City party buses.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I did request.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
We won't have neon lights, there won't be polls on it.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
No dance to Rita that's going to send the wrong image.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
I think. I think you can get on that bus
and carry your your own lawn chair, which we do
recommend people bring their own chairs. But the Twilight has
sponsored the two shuttle buses, so that's the easiest way
come to the museum. You can get into Leclair from
either direction and if you get down to the museum,
you can get on a shuttle bus. They're going to
run continuously both days, Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Along with the re enactors and the show, you've also
got some music.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Yes, and today, well, angel Meyer is going to be
She's a local country western singer.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
And country and Western country and she does country and
western what are you talking a? She is a talented musician.
We've seen her on the Mississippi Valley Fair and she's
the sweetest lady. Her husband's great guy too. But she's
gonna be there.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Really into horses, yeah, she's yeah. So she's going to
be our opening concert both days at eleven from eleven
till twelve. Angela Meyer is going to be singing her
or performing right on the showgrounds because they come into
the Into Cody Elementary, you know, three days prior to
the show, and when they set up their arena. It's
one hundred and fifty feet by three hundred feet.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I can see why there's no parking that's taking up everything.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Oh yeah, Cody Elementary is such a beautiful location and
we don't use the parking lot. There is some parking
up there. People who are familiar will understand, but we
expect that to be filled very quickly. So then your
really best bet is to take the shuttle bus. We
have haybaiale seating. We're bringing in fifteen hundred bals of
hey and we do what we can, but it just
isn't enough for everybody. So we do recommend you bring
(07:01):
lawn here or blankets, you know. So, but then on
the other side of the school, on the south side
is an actual boomtown. So that's where these cowboys and
reenactors with their horses, they live and eat, and they
live in these very authentic of the Civil War era
canvas tents, and there's a lot of activities for kids
when they go over there. They have like a panning
(07:22):
for gold, and there are cowboys, you know, games that
kids played at the turn of the century, wooden toys,
there's some Yeah, so there's a lot of demonstrations going
on in those tents both days. So a visit to Boomtown,
you shouldn't miss Boomtown if you come to the show.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yep, sounds good.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Now, will any of the the participants in the in
the show? Will they occasionally? Will you find one sneaking
off just to go to McDonald's or do you think
this is all? There's strictly roads construction is going to
make that.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
It's fine you go to McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
They could go up towards Clinton if they wanted to,
you know, but I'm.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Just take the take the horse back up there.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
You know, had right up. It is so interesting Buffalo
Bill when you think about him feeding fifteen hundred people
per lunch and dinner. So this crew, although it's certainly
of a much smaller scale, but they do get together
on Saturday night and the museum provides we host a
dinner and have permission from the school, and it's the
one activity where we go inside and on Saturday night
(08:24):
they all sit together and eat a meal. And so
are sponsors this year Modern woodman Is are presenting sponsor,
and of course in the twilight they sponsored the you know,
our shuttle buses. So the sponsors are invited to eat
with the re enactors and yeah, so Saturday night there
is a little bit of a galloping gourmet thing happening.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
There go the galloping gourmet.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Hey. I do think it was interesting when you talked
about Buffalo Bill and providing the meals.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
He was a hands on guy.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
He was well. He hired chefs. I mean, this wasn't
like a He hired a professonal cater of New York
City who traveled with the show for over twenty years
and they had all of the Yeah, he ate with
his people. I think he was really ahead of his
time in so many ways. He paid everybody the same wage.
The women of the show, the performers made the same
(09:15):
money as the male cowboys. So did the American Indians,
so they got paid the same money. And before he
went into every town. I love this story that Wayne
Reddick told about Buffalo Bill. Again, there was always an
advanced team that went in two to four weeks prior
because they had to set up for the groceries, the bread,
the eggs, the beet buying was a big thing. Provisions
(09:37):
for this show and every community he came into. This
is a real economic boom boom for them. But he
every time they went into the advanced team was told
to go to the orphanage. And at that point in history,
every town had an orphanage and they would line up.
So the children of the orphanage were became a part
of the parade. When the parade came into town to
(09:59):
welcome the show, the kids were up on the wagons
and they were a part of the parade, and they
always had tickets and they were given free tickets to
be in the front row. So yeah, he was ahead
of assign in many many ways.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And you know a lot of that too, worked out
well when you start to talk about the promoting end
of things, because that got people excited for what's coming,
and then also being able to give away free tickets
would also encourage more people to come by and just
see what's happening. And when we talk about his Wild
West show, it was it was a little bit of panache,
(10:32):
a little bit of entertainment, but there was also history
in this.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Too, and there was he actually depicted the American West
for the people in Europe had no idea, I mean,
and it was you know, it was called the Wild
West for a reason. I don't know, but he when
he went over there, he depicted real scenes from the
history of the West. And because he had been a
real guy, he'd been an Indian, he was an army scout,
and then he became a buffalo hunter for the Kansas
(10:57):
Pacific Railroad. And I did think he gets a bad
for Okay, he didn't care the buffalo. When he was
hunting buffalo in the eighteen fifty late eighteen sixties, it
was to feed the railroad cruise as they were trying
to rush across the continent. They had a lot of
workers who had to be fed and that was his job.
They paid him to do that. And you know, there
was a competition with another Bill Comstack, and he came
(11:20):
out the winner that day, which is how he got
the nickname. But the real, you know, the horrific extermination
the buffaloes took place in the eighteen nineties, and that
was because they wanted the hide. They were just hunting
for the hide because of the Industrial Revolution back east,
and Buffaloville was not a part of that by the time.
By that time he was traveling, he had the Wild
West Show, and he was horrified by what happened to
(11:41):
the buffalo herds at the end of the century.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And I thought he was a proponent of trying to
make sure that hey, wait a minute, back off on this,
let's try to let them still coexist. I thought he
was a little bit more outspoken on it. Hey, you
can't do that, you can't do what they were doing.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
And he also he did yet we all heard of
buffalo on his farm in Cody, Wyoming. And he did,
at the end of his life consider himself a conservationist,
although I don't think they had that word at that
point in time. But for example, when he traveled the
Lakota Indians were a part of his troop and he
traveled with I mean, the travel was amazing when you
think about five hundred animals, fifteen hundred people in this troop,
(12:21):
and one hundred of those people were Lakota Indians, and
they were not only allowed, but encouraged to bring their
families along. They lived in their own tents, they had
their own food that they wanted to eat, which the
chef prepared for them. I mean, there was all kinds
of different people they had to provide food for. At
the end, he became a very united nations kind of
(12:42):
a show.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Well, you know, that's the beauty and maybe at times
the unknown factor about how great of a guy Buffalo
Bill was. But when we talk about what's going to
be there on June twenty eighth and twenty ninth, and
again we were talking to Rita Feraoh, the execus, the
director Buffalo Bill Museum. Buffalo Bill Cody was born at
(13:05):
the time Leclair Territories. Iowa wasn't even a state yet.
I think a year later Iowa became a state. But
this thing initially started off at the museum when we
started to do this thing, and it's grown so big
now that you'll be over at the Cody Elementary School,
which is fitting that it would be over in there.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Absolutely, And he was born in a cabin right across
the road from Cody Elementary.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
That's a nice little symmetry out of all of this
is so wonderful.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
It is wonderful to bring him back its full circle.
This is the biggest fundraiser the museum has all year,
of course, and so it's twenty The tickets are fifteen
dollars in advance for adults, eight dollars for kids, and
then if you wait and buy at the gate. It's
twenty dollars for adults and ten dollars for kids.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I want to make sure you bring this up again
because it's about selling tickets, it's about making money, but
this is a fundraiser for the museum.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
It is, and when we it's just a perfect fit
for us because it really is doing living history. I mean,
I love because it's at the school grounds. Of course,
Iowa off prohibits beer or cigarettes on the grounds, and
so it's a very family friendly event. It's a wonderful
thing for grandparents to do with their grandkids. And really
this was the beginning. The Leclair was a jumping point
(14:22):
for that whole settle the West. People came from the
East and they had to cross the Mississippi and they
ended up in Leclair. The museum does a wonderful job
of telling that story of early American history, and Buffalo
Bill is certainly a part. He is our most famous son.
But people are realizing eighteen fifty nine, Pat we had
nineteen mercantile stores in Leclaire, Iowa. Nineteen because when people
(14:46):
were coming from Boston and New York or Cleveland and
they're going west, it was the gold Rush. They have
to stopped across the river. Well, they're not going to
buy their supplies on the Illinois side because they have
to raft everything across. There were no bridges, so they waited.
So they got on the Iowa side and hello, here's Leclaire.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
So and look back, look back at what this was like. Now.
The Mississippi River is not like this relatively tame waterway
that we have now.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
It was completely different.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Just to be able to negotiate it and then to
get over there. For some of them they probably said, Okay,
I'm not going any further, let's stop here. But that's
why it was. It was just amazing talk about it
wasn't a boomtown, but just think of the number of
people that thought about maybe staying right in the Clare.
(15:37):
And yet at the same time, it's coming back to
where people are rediscovering the great things that Leclaire has.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Right now Leclaire does, and I think it's so important.
Angeline Mclair, our founding father, had one of the first stairies,
and those pioneer settlers the first they would carry a
boat their constoga wagon and then they had to go
back to get the horses. Right trip to pay for it.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
So it's just amazing. But again, when we talk about
June twenty eighth and twenty ninth, the Buffalo Bill Best
of the Wild West, fifty re enactors, and they'll be
and this is not just people talking about it. These
are people talking the talk and walk in the walk.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
When we talk about.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Sharpshooters, trick writers. We're going to see it all there
plus not only a Buffalo Bill impersonator, an Anti Oakley
impersonator too, yep, antiep.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
We you know Frank Butler, Annie Oakley's husband, Texas Jack.
So all of the old they were famous and they
were performers in their own right, and we are just delighted.
Tickets are available on our Facebook page or our website. Okay,
they can go to the Buffalo Bill Museum of Leclair
and buy them in advance, and we just we're hoping
(16:49):
for good weather.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
For people buying the tickets.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Now, if they wait till the day of the shows, yep,
they can get them, but the prices do go up.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I know. So it's fifteen dollars in advance, twenty dollars
a day of the show, and say for kids, it's
eight dollars in advance and ten dollars a day of
the show. Okay, now, yeah, we encourage everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
And now will this is one last thing that I
asked the other day, and I want to make sure
that we get this in. If Buffalo Bill, Buffalo Bill
Cody came back down June twenty eighth and twenty ninth
and looked at what you are putting together, what do
you think he'd say about that?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I think Buffalo Bill would be amazed that here we are,
I mean, my gosh, one hundred and seventy eight years
after he was born, in the little town where he
was born, and that we still treasure his story and
honor his life. And yeah, do you know what, I'm emotional,
But I think he'd be really proud.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Pat is, when you're kind of doing some backstories on
Buffalo Bill Cody, what's the one thing that maybe you
discovered that maybe most people don't even realize that he
was a part of or he did that nobody gave
him credit for, and he was He was.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
The thing I'm most impressed with because in my life
and career of marketing has been kind of my focus.
He was such a great marketer, like the Chicago exposition
the World's Fair in eighteen ninety three. You know, they
didn't want to let him in because they were afraid
that he would, you know, steal their thunder. So he said, okay, fine.
I mean he just went boom and opened up his show.
(18:23):
He blocks away.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
They'll teach him well, but promoting and just being able
to one thing to promote, but to move that large,
that expansive roster that he had, not just not just
the cast, but how you got it all over the
country and into Europe.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
I know. And he and he really was a man
of his time who took advantage of every improvement, whether
it was railroads or electric lights, or the way they
served the dinner, the way they cooked the food, the
way they handled the I mean handling the food. He
had he had a big refrigeration truck that was that
was way ahead of its time, no doubt. Yeah, And
he was. He was, he adapted and I think that
(19:07):
I really admire that. But he in a way he
was so ahead of his time, like the way he
paid his performers and the troop, the way he cared
for people, and he at the end he prove like
the Indians to travel with him they because he does
get a bad rap, like he was an Indian fighter.
But at the end, and this is that he became
such an advocate and they wanted to travel with him,
(19:30):
They wanted to be a part of the show. He
provided them with employment, money for their families and wanted
them to live their regular life, travel with their families,
live in the tps, honored their customs. So yeah, he
was in a way, he had a big heart. But wow,
he employed a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Well I think too did a lot of town. When
you think about anything that we any of us have
done when we were twenty is completely different near the
end of our lives, how things have changed. And so
for people that maybe have one perspective or one attitude
of Buffalo Bill, come up to twenty eighth and twenty
ninth and find out maybe a little bit more of
(20:10):
something you didn't know about the man.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
And I think this is the thing to think about
when he every time he entered the stadium for twenty
four years, he played the star spangled banner, and that
was how he came in riding a big white horse.
And our show opens the same way. And here's because
the show that's coming to Leclair uses all the original
music from Buffalo Bill's Well West Show. It's professionally choreographed
and scripted, and that the songs go with the acts.
(20:36):
But here's the thing. That song didn't become the national
anthem until twenty four years after he started using it,
and he is credited with making that. That's the reason
that the star Stangle banner became the national anthem of
the United States of America. So there you go. He's
our guy.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
He's a pioneer in a lot of a lot of
different ways and history. You're going to be able to
check it out in person to twenty eighth, twenty ninth. Again, Rita,
if you want to tell them the tickets or how
to get the tickets, I wanted to.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
We'll wrap up the interview that way. Huh.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Thank you so much for giving us, for giving me
this opportunity. And the tickets are available right now on
our website, which is the Buffalo Bill Museum of the Claire,
or on our Facebook page. Just go to Facebook and
type in Buffalo Bill Museum of the Clare. Boom my ticket.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I tell you what Rita I get.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
The second time was the charm for our interview we
want to. I was scaring Rita that I said, well,
if we screw it up, well we'll.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Do it a third time, so don't We don't have
to do that, Rita.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Congratulations, we got it done.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Thanks again, Kat, this is just wonderful. Thanks so much
for this opportunity.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
If you or your organization would like to be featured
on Quad City Forum, please visit the contact page on
our station website. Now back to bat Luke and Danny Linnhowe.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
On our Quad City Forum this morning.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Getting a chance to talk again to LuxI Bull Comications
event manager the Cancer Support Community of Iowa in northwest Illinois.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
We'll give this website a.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Few times, but just right off the top csc Iowa
Illinois dot org. That's Csciowa illinoi dotorg. We've got a
big event that's going to be happening later in the year,
but we would be remiss having you on the phone
and at least not talking about the Run for Hope
(22:26):
that's coming up here at.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
The end of June.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Yes, we're really excited. This will be our third year
out at the Rock for our Run for Hope on
June twenty eighth. It's a great event. To come together
as a community and just celebrate those and honor those
who we've may have lost to cancer. This year, we
actually expect at least four hundred runners and then we'll
have beer, and then we'll have breakfast after the race
(22:50):
and an award ceremony. And then this year actually falls
on our community Stronger than Cancer today, which is Gilda's birthday.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
How can people be a part of it?
Speaker 5 (22:58):
So they can go online and register at Csciowa Illinois
dot org slash run. Again at Csciowa Illinois dot org
slash run, we have a time five k, but we
also have a one mile walk and ours is actually
a qualifying race if they're trying to get into marathons.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Not only for runners, but if they want to volunteer,
they could be a part of that too.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
Yes, all volunteers are welcome and they can register at
that same link at csc Iowa Illinois dot org slash
run and we can get all their information.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Even though one day, I hope that you cater to
the feline population, it does look like you got a
you got the doggy dash going on too, we do.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
We have the Purina Doggy Dash ten dollars you get
a fun doggy Vandana and you can either run with
your dog or you can do the one mile and
bring them on out and we should have some treats
from Parina and it should be a great, great time
to get out with your pup. Well that you agree
about the cats, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
We got to do that one. Yeah, they see that.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
But I do think it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
You know, you talked about beer, you got the treats
for the dogs. One day, you're gonna have the cat
thing figured out.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
I'll bring it up to our run committee and see
what comes up.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
There might be some laughing, but in the end they'll go,
you know what, we want numbers, Yeah, let's try it
next year.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I also like this.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
People can customize their race bibs too for loved ones
and put them in there, and that's that's I'm sure
maybe a lot of races do that, but it's really
great that you guys are doing that.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Yeah, it's really to reflect our mission and show why
everybody's out running that day. Is it's more than just
a run for us. It's cancer support really. So whether
they maybe lost their mom or their grandparents to cancer,
or they have somebody currently going through treatment, they can
put pictures of them on the back of their bib,
or they can just write in really big running for
(24:55):
my mom or whomever, and it's very impactful.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
And they also so have the I believe the doggy bandana.
And again next year there's the cat bande. Of course
the cats will have it torn off and they won't
have it all the end.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Of the day.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, they'll also be very indifferent they're around. Well, the
cats will act like they don't care, but they do so.
But again to find out more on that event. First off,
it's June twenty eighth over in Cole Valley. It seems
like we should think also Jeff Norton of mel Foster,
who is kind of helping you guys kind of use.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
The rock too, right, Yes, Jeff Norton is great. He
and his wife, they donate the event venue, they donate breakfast.
We were so appreciative of them and their support. And
then also the village of Cole Valley they donate the
EMS and the police services. And really we kind of
do what we do without the support of the community,
and of course our presenting sponsored Modern Woodmen of America. Really,
(25:49):
we're so grateful for the community and everybody that makes
this doesn't happen.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
So the website again Csciowa Illinois dot org slash run
for this event, but you'll also be able to use
that website too for another event that's coming up later
in the year in September. And I'd love this because
I initially thought I saw dragon boating and I thought
maybe it was a tie in to How to Train
(26:14):
Your Dragon.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Everybody else is tying into.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
That movie, but this has nothing to do with that movie.
But it's still something that's very important, certainly for cancer
survivors and cancer patients.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Yes, so we're hosting a new event that we're very
excited about, which you tied into How to Train Your
Dragon already, but this is completely different.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
From This has nothing to do with the movie. This
has something to do not at all with getting people
out too.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
So we're hosting our first annual Mississippi Valley dragon Boat Festival.
We're very excited about this event. When you hear the
words dragon Boat Festival, you're like.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
What is that?
Speaker 5 (26:53):
But when you see videos of it in action and pictures,
it's such a fun event that brings the community together.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
There, Lexi, when you had talked about this, this is
an actual Chinese tradition.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
We're excited to bring that here to the Quad Cities
and just kind of highlight the benefits that dragon boating
has and bring that awareness to the community. We're working
with twenty two Dragons company that hosts these events, and
they are bringing in twenty foot long boats that have
a dragon head at the front of them, and they'll
(27:26):
have up to sixteen people in the boat. And it's
fun and a great team building activity because you row
to the beat of a drum. It's such a great event.
And then it's actually great for cancer survivors. There's a
lot of cancer survivor teams across the US because it
helps them build back their strength. And then it also
helps build a sense of community, which is you know
(27:47):
something that we're really focused on.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Where is it at and what's the date.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
So it's going to be at Westlake on June twenty
are not, oh my gosh, not June twentieth, Sorry.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Well, that would get people in there early. We're going
to expect a big crowd.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
And when you picked west Lake, I would have thought
because there's a rowing club that's over in Mowleen, but
probably the Mississippi river isn't conducive for that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
So you guys did some scouting, didn't you.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
We did. We had twenty two dragons come from Canada
and we took him to multiple different sites and the
Mississippi River was one of them, and he said that
the current would be too unpredictable for dragon boating. So
one of the next sites we took him to was
west Lake and he loved it and he thought it
was one of the perfect venues for a dragon boat event.
(28:34):
People can kind of set up and tailgate and it's
got that bowl shaped to it so people can hang
out and watch the races as they race in heat.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Now with dragon racing will there be turns?
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Essentially straight line racing, so they're just trying to get
to the finish line before the other team.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Now that we gave him a different date there and
there's people going a minute, they didn't come back to
the date. Why don't you give him the date again?
We know it's at west Lake Park, but what's the date?
So people can be a part of this September twentieth,
all right, And.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
If they need to find out.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
More, they can visit CSC Iowa, Illinois dot org, slash dragon.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Anything else that people should maybe.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Be aware of.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
If you are a loved one or in need of support,
you can find support on our website at Csciowa Illinois
dot org. But if you're looking for other ways to
support aside from fundraising events, we have a monthly donation
program that a gift as smallest five dollars a month
can help support and sustain our programs, and you can
(29:32):
learn more about that at Csciowa Illinois dot org.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
You've been listening to Quad City Forum, a weekly community
service program produced by iHeartRadio. If you were your nonprofit
organization would like to be featured, please visit the contact
page and our station website, or contact quad City Forum
and care of iHeartMedia. Quad Cities three five three five
East Kimberly Road, dabin Fords, Iowa five two eight zero
(29:59):
seven
Welcome to Quad City Forum, a weekly community service program
produced by iHeartMedia to look at the issues and opportunities
that exist in our community. Now here's your hosts for
Quad City Forum, Nott Luke and Denny Linnhowe.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Getting a chance to talk to Rita Farrow, the executive
director Buffalo Bill Museum and big stuff happening.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Rita, thanks again. We had a little problem with our
first interview.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now we're making sure that we get this second one
ready to go. And there's plenty of reason to be
talking about this because it's a big event near the
end of the month about one of our more famous
citizens that was born in the state of Iowa before
it was the state of Iowa. And it's Buffalo Bill
Cody four to.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Eighteen forty six right in Leclair and he became in
his lifetime pat And I think this is amazing, the
most recognizable person on the planet. Yes, that's our guy.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
This event for people to forget the wild West shows.
Buffalo Bill was doing this stuff. He made eight to
ten trips over into Europe yep.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Thirty years and many people twenty thousand people would attend
a single show that would be an evening performance. The
estimate is that ten million people saw that show live.
It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And another fantastic thing was I believe the show at night.
At some point it was the first lighted show, or
at least yeah, lit with electricity.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Electricity became a thing. Of course, he met Thomas Edison
and he played at Madison Square Garden. But the first show,
and I think that was it was around the turn
of the century, nineteen oh eight, was in Hoboken, New Jersey,
and he hired thirty electricians who at the time were
called I think power engineers, but under the lights, like
a thousand candle at lights. So yeah, and then he traveled,
(01:49):
they traveled with the show. It was lit up when
they got to Europe. Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
And that brings up another thing too, because we think
about the history of Buffalo Bill Cody, and we think
about this this famous well we didn't even have the
quad cities back then when he was born, but this
famous resident. And he was also quite the promoter too.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Well, and that's how he became famous. Of course, was
the Wild West Show. And he traveled with a cast
and I think this is amazing, like fifteen hundred people,
most of that travel took place on trains. They would
leave after the evening performance, travel in the middle of
the night, get to the next town at five am.
They had their tent set up for breakfast by six thirty.
(02:33):
And I mean they had to make like eight hundred stakes.
They went through thirty dozen eggs. It was this endeavor was.
I mean, the more I learned about the guy, the
more amazing than it is. But it was a well
oiled machine.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And I liked how you described this here when you
talk about that traveling the group that was with him,
the troop. It was like a traveling boomtown.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
And I love the group that we have coming to
Leclair on June twenty eighth and twenty ninth. Are calling
it the best of the wild West. It's a group
of reenactors from Wisconsin. Wayne Reddick is our very authentic,
very history oriented Buffalo Bill reenactor. But this we did
it last year. We brought it to Cody Elementary and
had two thousand people, which was just an amazing number
(03:16):
for you know, the first time we kind of tried
this and had no idea how it was going to go.
So we're bringing them back this year. But they do
it's fifty people on horseback, the cowboys. Annie Oakley does
her trick shooting acts, and they really do depict many
of those famous acts from the original wild West. This
group is very well considered its history and it is
(03:37):
living history, and they just do a wonderful job. They
set up at Cody Elementary School on fourteen acres and
they actually bring boom count so they they live in
those tents for four days. They cook over campfires, and
they actually live a very authentic they're dressed and period custom.
Even when they're setting up the show, they are, you know,
no zippers, no bel crow.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
They're not letting all people do it with modern tools.
They're setting it up like they would have done absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
You know, they dig up the side and make campfires.
And I have to make a point that when they're done,
Wayne Reddick or Buffalo Bill, he inspects the grounds and
everything has to be put back exactly as it was.
Last year. I heard from the people at Pleasant Valley
when they walked the grounds they didn't find so much
as a bottle cap out of plate the day after
the show. So they're really a wonderful group to deal with,
and we are just delighted to bring them back for
(04:27):
a second year.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
It sounds like they left the place better than it
was before they came.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Well in their beautiful grounds. Cody Elementary, we're a little
concerned this year. Have you and Bob heard about the
traffic jam?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Pat Well, I know that there's a little bit of construction,
and so when you're talking about adding on that construction,
headed it's an understatement, but that construction certainly is going
to cause some issues for people that are wanting to
go over there.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Right Buffalo Belle Museum sits right on the Mississippi River.
We're right on the levee there. LaClair and our next
door neighbors, the Riverboat Twilight, the best neighbor any museum
could possibly have. The Twilight has sponsored last year they shop.
They sponsored shuttle buses to take people from because there's
very limited parking up at Cody Elementary that we recommend
you bring your own chair and you can come down
(05:15):
to the levee. We have two party buses this year,
and I love that Quad City party buses.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I did request.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
We won't have neon lights, there won't be polls on it.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
No dance to Rita that's going to send the wrong image.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
I think. I think you can get on that bus
and carry your your own lawn chair, which we do
recommend people bring their own chairs. But the Twilight has
sponsored the two shuttle buses, so that's the easiest way
come to the museum. You can get into Leclair from
either direction and if you get down to the museum,
you can get on a shuttle bus. They're going to
run continuously both days, Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Along with the re enactors and the show, you've also
got some music.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Yes, and today, well, angel Meyer is going to be
She's a local country western singer.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
And country and Western country and she does country and
western what are you talking a? She is a talented musician.
We've seen her on the Mississippi Valley Fair and she's
the sweetest lady. Her husband's great guy too. But she's
gonna be there.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Really into horses, yeah, she's yeah. So she's going to
be our opening concert both days at eleven from eleven
till twelve. Angela Meyer is going to be singing her
or performing right on the showgrounds because they come into
the Into Cody Elementary, you know, three days prior to
the show, and when they set up their arena. It's
one hundred and fifty feet by three hundred feet.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I can see why there's no parking that's taking up everything.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Oh yeah, Cody Elementary is such a beautiful location and
we don't use the parking lot. There is some parking
up there. People who are familiar will understand, but we
expect that to be filled very quickly. So then your
really best bet is to take the shuttle bus. We
have haybaiale seating. We're bringing in fifteen hundred bals of
hey and we do what we can, but it just
isn't enough for everybody. So we do recommend you bring
(07:01):
lawn here or blankets, you know. So, but then on
the other side of the school, on the south side
is an actual boomtown. So that's where these cowboys and
reenactors with their horses, they live and eat, and they
live in these very authentic of the Civil War era
canvas tents, and there's a lot of activities for kids
when they go over there. They have like a panning
(07:22):
for gold, and there are cowboys, you know, games that
kids played at the turn of the century, wooden toys,
there's some Yeah, so there's a lot of demonstrations going
on in those tents both days. So a visit to Boomtown,
you shouldn't miss Boomtown if you come to the show.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yep, sounds good.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Now, will any of the the participants in the in
the show? Will they occasionally? Will you find one sneaking
off just to go to McDonald's or do you think
this is all? There's strictly roads construction is going to
make that.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
It's fine you go to McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
They could go up towards Clinton if they wanted to,
you know, but I'm.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Just take the take the horse back up there.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
You know, had right up. It is so interesting Buffalo
Bill when you think about him feeding fifteen hundred people
per lunch and dinner. So this crew, although it's certainly
of a much smaller scale, but they do get together
on Saturday night and the museum provides we host a
dinner and have permission from the school, and it's the
one activity where we go inside and on Saturday night
(08:24):
they all sit together and eat a meal. And so
are sponsors this year Modern woodman Is are presenting sponsor,
and of course in the twilight they sponsored the you know,
our shuttle buses. So the sponsors are invited to eat
with the re enactors and yeah, so Saturday night there
is a little bit of a galloping gourmet thing happening.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
There go the galloping gourmet.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Hey. I do think it was interesting when you talked
about Buffalo Bill and providing the meals.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
He was a hands on guy.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
He was well. He hired chefs. I mean, this wasn't
like a He hired a professonal cater of New York
City who traveled with the show for over twenty years
and they had all of the Yeah, he ate with
his people. I think he was really ahead of his
time in so many ways. He paid everybody the same wage.
The women of the show, the performers made the same
(09:15):
money as the male cowboys. So did the American Indians,
so they got paid the same money. And before he
went into every town. I love this story that Wayne
Reddick told about Buffalo Bill. Again, there was always an
advanced team that went in two to four weeks prior
because they had to set up for the groceries, the bread,
the eggs, the beet buying was a big thing. Provisions
(09:37):
for this show and every community he came into. This
is a real economic boom boom for them. But he
every time they went into the advanced team was told
to go to the orphanage. And at that point in history,
every town had an orphanage and they would line up.
So the children of the orphanage were became a part
of the parade. When the parade came into town to
(09:59):
welcome the show, the kids were up on the wagons
and they were a part of the parade, and they
always had tickets and they were given free tickets to
be in the front row. So yeah, he was ahead
of assign in many many ways.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And you know a lot of that too, worked out
well when you start to talk about the promoting end
of things, because that got people excited for what's coming,
and then also being able to give away free tickets
would also encourage more people to come by and just
see what's happening. And when we talk about his Wild
West show, it was it was a little bit of panache,
(10:32):
a little bit of entertainment, but there was also history
in this.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Too, and there was he actually depicted the American West
for the people in Europe had no idea, I mean,
and it was you know, it was called the Wild
West for a reason. I don't know, but he when
he went over there, he depicted real scenes from the
history of the West. And because he had been a
real guy, he'd been an Indian, he was an army scout,
and then he became a buffalo hunter for the Kansas
(10:57):
Pacific Railroad. And I did think he gets a bad
for Okay, he didn't care the buffalo. When he was
hunting buffalo in the eighteen fifty late eighteen sixties, it
was to feed the railroad cruise as they were trying
to rush across the continent. They had a lot of
workers who had to be fed and that was his job.
They paid him to do that. And you know, there
was a competition with another Bill Comstack, and he came
(11:20):
out the winner that day, which is how he got
the nickname. But the real, you know, the horrific extermination
the buffaloes took place in the eighteen nineties, and that
was because they wanted the hide. They were just hunting
for the hide because of the Industrial Revolution back east,
and Buffaloville was not a part of that by the time.
By that time he was traveling, he had the Wild
West Show, and he was horrified by what happened to
(11:41):
the buffalo herds at the end of the century.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And I thought he was a proponent of trying to
make sure that hey, wait a minute, back off on this,
let's try to let them still coexist. I thought he
was a little bit more outspoken on it. Hey, you
can't do that, you can't do what they were doing.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
And he also he did yet we all heard of
buffalo on his farm in Cody, Wyoming. And he did,
at the end of his life consider himself a conservationist,
although I don't think they had that word at that
point in time. But for example, when he traveled the
Lakota Indians were a part of his troop and he
traveled with I mean, the travel was amazing when you
think about five hundred animals, fifteen hundred people in this troop,
(12:21):
and one hundred of those people were Lakota Indians, and
they were not only allowed, but encouraged to bring their
families along. They lived in their own tents, they had
their own food that they wanted to eat, which the
chef prepared for them. I mean, there was all kinds
of different people they had to provide food for. At
the end, he became a very united nations kind of
(12:42):
a show.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Well, you know, that's the beauty and maybe at times
the unknown factor about how great of a guy Buffalo
Bill was. But when we talk about what's going to
be there on June twenty eighth and twenty ninth, and
again we were talking to Rita Feraoh, the execus, the
director Buffalo Bill Museum. Buffalo Bill Cody was born at
(13:05):
the time Leclair Territories. Iowa wasn't even a state yet.
I think a year later Iowa became a state. But
this thing initially started off at the museum when we
started to do this thing, and it's grown so big
now that you'll be over at the Cody Elementary School,
which is fitting that it would be over in there.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Absolutely, And he was born in a cabin right across
the road from Cody Elementary.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
That's a nice little symmetry out of all of this
is so wonderful.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
It is wonderful to bring him back its full circle.
This is the biggest fundraiser the museum has all year,
of course, and so it's twenty The tickets are fifteen
dollars in advance for adults, eight dollars for kids, and
then if you wait and buy at the gate. It's
twenty dollars for adults and ten dollars for kids.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I want to make sure you bring this up again
because it's about selling tickets, it's about making money, but
this is a fundraiser for the museum.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
It is, and when we it's just a perfect fit
for us because it really is doing living history. I mean,
I love because it's at the school grounds. Of course,
Iowa off prohibits beer or cigarettes on the grounds, and
so it's a very family friendly event. It's a wonderful
thing for grandparents to do with their grandkids. And really
this was the beginning. The Leclair was a jumping point
(14:22):
for that whole settle the West. People came from the
East and they had to cross the Mississippi and they
ended up in Leclair. The museum does a wonderful job
of telling that story of early American history, and Buffalo
Bill is certainly a part. He is our most famous son.
But people are realizing eighteen fifty nine, Pat we had
nineteen mercantile stores in Leclaire, Iowa. Nineteen because when people
(14:46):
were coming from Boston and New York or Cleveland and
they're going west, it was the gold Rush. They have
to stopped across the river. Well, they're not going to
buy their supplies on the Illinois side because they have
to raft everything across. There were no bridges, so they waited.
So they got on the Iowa side and hello, here's Leclaire.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
So and look back, look back at what this was like. Now.
The Mississippi River is not like this relatively tame waterway
that we have now.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
It was completely different.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Just to be able to negotiate it and then to
get over there. For some of them they probably said, Okay,
I'm not going any further, let's stop here. But that's
why it was. It was just amazing talk about it
wasn't a boomtown, but just think of the number of
people that thought about maybe staying right in the Clare.
(15:37):
And yet at the same time, it's coming back to
where people are rediscovering the great things that Leclaire has.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Right now Leclaire does, and I think it's so important.
Angeline Mclair, our founding father, had one of the first stairies,
and those pioneer settlers the first they would carry a
boat their constoga wagon and then they had to go
back to get the horses. Right trip to pay for it.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
So it's just amazing. But again, when we talk about
June twenty eighth and twenty ninth, the Buffalo Bill Best
of the Wild West, fifty re enactors, and they'll be
and this is not just people talking about it. These
are people talking the talk and walk in the walk.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
When we talk about.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Sharpshooters, trick writers. We're going to see it all there
plus not only a Buffalo Bill impersonator, an Anti Oakley
impersonator too, yep, antiep.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
We you know Frank Butler, Annie Oakley's husband, Texas Jack.
So all of the old they were famous and they
were performers in their own right, and we are just delighted.
Tickets are available on our Facebook page or our website. Okay,
they can go to the Buffalo Bill Museum of Leclair
and buy them in advance, and we just we're hoping
(16:49):
for good weather.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
For people buying the tickets.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Now, if they wait till the day of the shows, yep,
they can get them, but the prices do go up.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I know. So it's fifteen dollars in advance, twenty dollars
a day of the show, and say for kids, it's
eight dollars in advance and ten dollars a day of
the show. Okay, now, yeah, we encourage everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
And now will this is one last thing that I
asked the other day, and I want to make sure
that we get this in. If Buffalo Bill, Buffalo Bill
Cody came back down June twenty eighth and twenty ninth
and looked at what you are putting together, what do
you think he'd say about that?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I think Buffalo Bill would be amazed that here we are,
I mean, my gosh, one hundred and seventy eight years
after he was born, in the little town where he
was born, and that we still treasure his story and
honor his life. And yeah, do you know what, I'm emotional,
But I think he'd be really proud.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Pat is, when you're kind of doing some backstories on
Buffalo Bill Cody, what's the one thing that maybe you
discovered that maybe most people don't even realize that he
was a part of or he did that nobody gave
him credit for, and he was He was.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
The thing I'm most impressed with because in my life
and career of marketing has been kind of my focus.
He was such a great marketer, like the Chicago exposition
the World's Fair in eighteen ninety three. You know, they
didn't want to let him in because they were afraid
that he would, you know, steal their thunder. So he said, okay, fine.
I mean he just went boom and opened up his show.
(18:23):
He blocks away.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
They'll teach him well, but promoting and just being able
to one thing to promote, but to move that large,
that expansive roster that he had, not just not just
the cast, but how you got it all over the
country and into Europe.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
I know. And he and he really was a man
of his time who took advantage of every improvement, whether
it was railroads or electric lights, or the way they
served the dinner, the way they cooked the food, the
way they handled the I mean handling the food. He
had he had a big refrigeration truck that was that
was way ahead of its time, no doubt. Yeah, And
he was. He was, he adapted and I think that
(19:07):
I really admire that. But he in a way he
was so ahead of his time, like the way he
paid his performers and the troop, the way he cared
for people, and he at the end he prove like
the Indians to travel with him they because he does
get a bad rap, like he was an Indian fighter.
But at the end, and this is that he became
such an advocate and they wanted to travel with him,
(19:30):
They wanted to be a part of the show. He
provided them with employment, money for their families and wanted
them to live their regular life, travel with their families,
live in the tps, honored their customs. So yeah, he
was in a way, he had a big heart. But wow,
he employed a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Well I think too did a lot of town. When
you think about anything that we any of us have
done when we were twenty is completely different near the
end of our lives, how things have changed. And so
for people that maybe have one perspective or one attitude
of Buffalo Bill, come up to twenty eighth and twenty
ninth and find out maybe a little bit more of
(20:10):
something you didn't know about the man.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
And I think this is the thing to think about
when he every time he entered the stadium for twenty
four years, he played the star spangled banner, and that
was how he came in riding a big white horse.
And our show opens the same way. And here's because
the show that's coming to Leclair uses all the original
music from Buffalo Bill's Well West Show. It's professionally choreographed
and scripted, and that the songs go with the acts.
(20:36):
But here's the thing. That song didn't become the national
anthem until twenty four years after he started using it,
and he is credited with making that. That's the reason
that the star Stangle banner became the national anthem of
the United States of America. So there you go. He's
our guy.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
He's a pioneer in a lot of a lot of
different ways and history. You're going to be able to
check it out in person to twenty eighth, twenty ninth. Again, Rita,
if you want to tell them the tickets or how
to get the tickets, I wanted to.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
We'll wrap up the interview that way. Huh.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Thank you so much for giving us, for giving me
this opportunity. And the tickets are available right now on
our website, which is the Buffalo Bill Museum of the Claire,
or on our Facebook page. Just go to Facebook and
type in Buffalo Bill Museum of the Clare. Boom my ticket.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I tell you what Rita I get.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
The second time was the charm for our interview we
want to. I was scaring Rita that I said, well,
if we screw it up, well we'll.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Do it a third time, so don't We don't have
to do that, Rita.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Congratulations, we got it done.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Thanks again, Kat, this is just wonderful. Thanks so much
for this opportunity.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
If you or your organization would like to be featured
on Quad City Forum, please visit the contact page on
our station website. Now back to bat Luke and Danny Linnhowe.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
On our Quad City Forum this morning.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Getting a chance to talk again to LuxI Bull Comications
event manager the Cancer Support Community of Iowa in northwest Illinois.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
We'll give this website a.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Few times, but just right off the top csc Iowa
Illinois dot org. That's Csciowa illinoi dotorg. We've got a
big event that's going to be happening later in the year,
but we would be remiss having you on the phone
and at least not talking about the Run for Hope
(22:26):
that's coming up here at.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
The end of June.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Yes, we're really excited. This will be our third year
out at the Rock for our Run for Hope on
June twenty eighth. It's a great event. To come together
as a community and just celebrate those and honor those
who we've may have lost to cancer. This year, we
actually expect at least four hundred runners and then we'll
have beer, and then we'll have breakfast after the race
(22:50):
and an award ceremony. And then this year actually falls
on our community Stronger than Cancer today, which is Gilda's birthday.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
How can people be a part of it?
Speaker 5 (22:58):
So they can go online and register at Csciowa Illinois
dot org slash run. Again at Csciowa Illinois dot org
slash run, we have a time five k, but we
also have a one mile walk and ours is actually
a qualifying race if they're trying to get into marathons.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Not only for runners, but if they want to volunteer,
they could be a part of that too.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
Yes, all volunteers are welcome and they can register at
that same link at csc Iowa Illinois dot org slash
run and we can get all their information.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Even though one day, I hope that you cater to
the feline population, it does look like you got a
you got the doggy dash going on too, we do.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
We have the Purina Doggy Dash ten dollars you get
a fun doggy Vandana and you can either run with
your dog or you can do the one mile and
bring them on out and we should have some treats
from Parina and it should be a great, great time
to get out with your pup. Well that you agree
about the cats, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
We got to do that one. Yeah, they see that.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
But I do think it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
You know, you talked about beer, you got the treats
for the dogs. One day, you're gonna have the cat
thing figured out.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
I'll bring it up to our run committee and see
what comes up.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
There might be some laughing, but in the end they'll go,
you know what, we want numbers, Yeah, let's try it
next year.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I also like this.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
People can customize their race bibs too for loved ones
and put them in there, and that's that's I'm sure
maybe a lot of races do that, but it's really
great that you guys are doing that.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Yeah, it's really to reflect our mission and show why
everybody's out running that day. Is it's more than just
a run for us. It's cancer support really. So whether
they maybe lost their mom or their grandparents to cancer,
or they have somebody currently going through treatment, they can
put pictures of them on the back of their bib,
or they can just write in really big running for
(24:55):
my mom or whomever, and it's very impactful.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
And they also so have the I believe the doggy bandana.
And again next year there's the cat bande. Of course
the cats will have it torn off and they won't
have it all the end.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Of the day.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, they'll also be very indifferent they're around. Well, the
cats will act like they don't care, but they do so.
But again to find out more on that event. First off,
it's June twenty eighth over in Cole Valley. It seems
like we should think also Jeff Norton of mel Foster,
who is kind of helping you guys kind of use.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
The rock too, right, Yes, Jeff Norton is great. He
and his wife, they donate the event venue, they donate breakfast.
We were so appreciative of them and their support. And
then also the village of Cole Valley they donate the
EMS and the police services. And really we kind of
do what we do without the support of the community,
and of course our presenting sponsored Modern Woodmen of America. Really,
(25:49):
we're so grateful for the community and everybody that makes
this doesn't happen.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
So the website again Csciowa Illinois dot org slash run
for this event, but you'll also be able to use
that website too for another event that's coming up later
in the year in September. And I'd love this because
I initially thought I saw dragon boating and I thought
maybe it was a tie in to How to Train
(26:14):
Your Dragon.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Everybody else is tying into.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
That movie, but this has nothing to do with that movie.
But it's still something that's very important, certainly for cancer
survivors and cancer patients.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Yes, so we're hosting a new event that we're very
excited about, which you tied into How to Train Your
Dragon already, but this is completely different.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
From This has nothing to do with the movie. This
has something to do not at all with getting people
out too.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
So we're hosting our first annual Mississippi Valley dragon Boat Festival.
We're very excited about this event. When you hear the
words dragon Boat Festival, you're like.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
What is that?
Speaker 5 (26:53):
But when you see videos of it in action and pictures,
it's such a fun event that brings the community together.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
There, Lexi, when you had talked about this, this is
an actual Chinese tradition.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
We're excited to bring that here to the Quad Cities
and just kind of highlight the benefits that dragon boating
has and bring that awareness to the community. We're working
with twenty two Dragons company that hosts these events, and
they are bringing in twenty foot long boats that have
a dragon head at the front of them, and they'll
(27:26):
have up to sixteen people in the boat. And it's
fun and a great team building activity because you row
to the beat of a drum. It's such a great event.
And then it's actually great for cancer survivors. There's a
lot of cancer survivor teams across the US because it
helps them build back their strength. And then it also
helps build a sense of community, which is you know
(27:47):
something that we're really focused on.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Where is it at and what's the date.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
So it's going to be at Westlake on June twenty
are not, oh my gosh, not June twentieth, Sorry.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Well, that would get people in there early. We're going
to expect a big crowd.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
And when you picked west Lake, I would have thought
because there's a rowing club that's over in Mowleen, but
probably the Mississippi river isn't conducive for that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
So you guys did some scouting, didn't you.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
We did. We had twenty two dragons come from Canada
and we took him to multiple different sites and the
Mississippi River was one of them, and he said that
the current would be too unpredictable for dragon boating. So
one of the next sites we took him to was
west Lake and he loved it and he thought it
was one of the perfect venues for a dragon boat event.
(28:34):
People can kind of set up and tailgate and it's
got that bowl shaped to it so people can hang
out and watch the races as they race in heat.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Now with dragon racing will there be turns?
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Essentially straight line racing, so they're just trying to get
to the finish line before the other team.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Now that we gave him a different date there and
there's people going a minute, they didn't come back to
the date. Why don't you give him the date again?
We know it's at west Lake Park, but what's the date?
So people can be a part of this September twentieth,
all right, And.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
If they need to find out.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
More, they can visit CSC Iowa, Illinois dot org, slash dragon.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Anything else that people should maybe.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Be aware of.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
If you are a loved one or in need of support,
you can find support on our website at Csciowa Illinois
dot org. But if you're looking for other ways to
support aside from fundraising events, we have a monthly donation
program that a gift as smallest five dollars a month
can help support and sustain our programs, and you can
(29:32):
learn more about that at Csciowa Illinois dot org.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
You've been listening to Quad City Forum, a weekly community
service program produced by iHeartRadio. If you were your nonprofit
organization would like to be featured, please visit the contact
page and our station website, or contact quad City Forum
and care of iHeartMedia. Quad Cities three five three five
East Kimberly Road, dabin Fords, Iowa five two eight zero
(29:59):
seven
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