BATESVILLE — For the Lloyds of Batesville, their contributions to the Independence County Fair were recently recognized at the state level. The family received the Mary Louise Fiser Memorial Award at the Arkansas Fair Managers Association’s annual banquet in Hot Springs on Jan. 18.
Pam Lloyd; her husband, Phillip; and their son Matt have been involved with the Independence County Fair for more than 20 years.
“I’ve been on the [Independence County Fair Board] for 28 years,” Pam said. “I was an extension homemaker before I was on the board.”
She did volunteer work at the Independence County Fair, accepting and organizing entries for the fair’s plant competitions.
In 1987, she became a part of the board and was asked to be on the Beauty Pageant Committee. Phillip started working with the fair about four years after Pam got involved.
“The fair is all about the kids,” he said. “We’re able to teach them management skills, and they’re able to compete with each other. It gets them prepared for life later on.”
Phillip has been working with the fair for 24 years and assists where he is needed — whether it’s cooking, working the gate or completing a building project for the fair.
“We’ve always got new projects going on,” Phillip said. “I like working with them and seeing them completed.”
Both Pam and Phillip said they like working with the Independence County Fair.
“I just enjoy it. It kind of gets in your blood,” Pam said.
The countless hours the Lloyds put into the fair are all on a volunteer basis. The husband and wife team put in work with the fair, and their son Matt also plays a part.
Matt said he has grown up around the fair.
“Now, I’m the head honcho of the beauty pageant. I oversee the fair board and help with the Veterans Day celebration and organize it. If it doesn’t flow right, it’s my fault,” Matt said.
Along with the beauty pageant and other activities that occur during fair season, Matt is also in charge of the annual audit for the Independence County Fair.
Pam said it is an honor for her family to receive the Mary Louise Fiser Memorial Award.
“She was very family oriented and loved the fair,” Pam said of Fiser. “Her fair board wanted to organize an award to give to a family where the entire family worked at the fair.”
Both Phillip and Pam were thrilled with the news when they were named the winners of this year’s award.
“[Mary Louise Fiser] was so highly respected across the state. She did a lot for fairs. It’s quite an honor to receive [the award],” Phillip said.