Thank you for hosting Benny at your County Fair! If you have any issues or questions, or would like to talk more about options, contact Shelly Signs at 541-737-0724, or 541-760-7243 after hours.
To have a great visit with Benny, we suggest the following elements be considered.
- About a month out (or sooner), determine what will happen during the time that Benny is there - what do you want him to do? Make out a schedule so that he knows where he's going and attendees at the fair know where to find him. Allow some time for breaks.
- Select a place to meet Benny and his handler when they arrive. They will have a vehicle full of stuff, so you'll want to be able to provide directions to the meet-up place, and meet them there with a wagon or cart to unload. Make sure we have a cell number for the person meeting Benny and his assistant, in case there's any challenges meeting up at the planned time. We will also want to make sure the meeter has Benny or the assistant's number.
- After the vehicle is unloaded, they will need a place to park. Please procure a parking permit (if needed) and be prepared to direct them to the best place to park.
- Next, it's time to set up! Do you need any booth decor such as pull up banners or a table drape? There's lots of stuff that can be checked out from University Events Borrowables inventory that Benny's assistant can bring to you. Check out the borrowables list and get your request in early!
- Schedule some booth helpers. How many you'll need will depend on what activities you have in mind. Benny's assistant can help set up some items, but then will need to assist Benny for a majority of the day. Their job is to be Benny's "eyes" so that he doesn't do anything like trip over a small child. As you can imagine, this is a full time gig! So how many helpers? If you have a spinner wheel for prizes, you'll need at least one person for that. And you probably want a person or two to talk about your programs.
- If you'll be sending Benny anywhere else on the fairgrounds, you'll want someone to go with them to actually get them there. Allow extra time because while Benny is spry, he gets stopped with requests for photos and autographs frequently. Please have your staff/booth helpers or Benny escort help keep him on time. This is best accomplished by communicating with the assistant frequently throughout the day. The assistant will also help notify you when a break is needed, which may be every 45 minutes.
- So what exactly does your booth need? At a minimum, you'll need a table to set out some swag. The rest is wherever you want to take it!
- So what does Benny need for the day? They need a place to store any personal items (such as keys, purse and a gear bag.) Benny also needs a place to take a break; it's hot wearing fir in the summer! This place needs to be private - a mascot without a head can be very scary for small children, so it's important to really protect that view. Please have some water available for Benny - he is a water creature, after all. It's a bonus to also have a fan or air conditioner and a chair.
- You've made it through the day and been in good communication with the assistant throughout, yea! If you borrowed any decor items, please offer to help the assistant load them back up. If there is any swag remaining, it is now the property of the Extension office to give out throughout the year.