FORT SMITH -- The U.S. Marshals Stampede "Kickin' Up the Dust" is one fundraiser participants can wear Stetsons and britches to.
The Western-themed evening will take place March 14 in the Expo Center at Kay Rodgers Park in Fort Smith. It celebrates the adventurous spirit of the Wild West, and the marshals who brought law and order, with an array of country music, casino activity, and an auction for commemorative rifles and other Marshals Service, cowboy- and country-themed items.
U.S. Marshals Stampede ‘Kickin’ Up the Dust’
Who: U.S. Marshals Museum
What: Fundraiser for the U.S. Marshals Museum
When: 7 p.m. March 14
Where: The Expo Center at Kay Rodgers Park in Fort Smith
Cost: $200, twilight ticket $100
Info: usmarshalsmuseum.com or (479) 709-3766
Fort Smith has needed an event of this caliber for some time, says Mary Young, wife of ArcBest Corp. Chairman Robert Young, so she made it happen. Proceeds benefit the U.S. Marshals Museum, which had a groundbreaking in September and is set to open in 2017.
"We've all been involved with the museum, but this gala, for me, was something I've always had a dream for Fort Smith," the Stampede co-chairman says. "Fort Smith has never done a party or fundraiser on this scale and I knew that I could do it with [Kathy Babb], that we could make it big and successful."
Babb has been a driving force in the area's fundraising community for years, but making a fundraiser from scratch came as a challenge.
"I had no clue what I was getting into," Babb says. "[Young] very innocently asked me one night, 'Do you want to work with me on this party?' I'd had a glass of wine too much and I said, 'Oh sure, that sounds fun.'"
The two kept their commitment out of dedication to the U.S. Marshals Museum, which they believe will be the next great addition to the cultural tour of Arkansas. It's one reason they've focused on making it an event that draws people from across the country.
"We've got Crystal Bridges [Museum of American Art] and the Clinton museum and now U.S. Marshals Museum, which will all sort of be on the I-40 corridor," Young says. "It'll be a boom [of tourism] for Arkansas ... so we're trying to appeal statewide, nationwide and get the museum's name out there."
Young and Babb had their work cut out for them, creating form letters, filling out paperwork and securing sponsorships without anything to show for it except an idea, so they hired an event coordinator who has put on similar parties for the Walton family and other notables around the country and a well-known caterer out of Dallas to take care of the planning and treats.
"Our event coordinator has been fabulous," Babb says. "She's done so many things similar to this, she brings a lot of ideas from all over the U.S. This is a national museum, so it's neat to get that kind of exposure."
A VIP reception area will begin at 6 p.m., with entry based on corporate and personal sponsorship levels that include U.S. Marshal, Chief Deputy Marshal, Deputy Marshal and Member of the Posse.
Unlike other events, which allow guests to wander in at their leisure before a set dinner time, the Stampede will reveal the re-created "Old West town" to all guests at once and commence activities at 7 p.m.
"The event planner has such an unbelievable vision [for this event], so it's going to be neat," Young says. "It will be entertainment all night long, one thing after another."
Cowboys and "little darlings" can take up line dancing, try mechanical bull riding, and sample any of the creative culinary plates of the night. Character actors including a sheriff, saloon girls, Judge Isaac Parker and his wife, Mary, and bordello madam Miss Laura will add color to the experience.
Central to the town will be a fake bonfire surrounded by food stations such as the Hill Country Nosh Station, Street Taco and Seafood Bar, Cowboy Carving Station and a variety of hors d'oeuvres, sides, salad bars and desserts.
Guests will have a choice of five specialty cocktails with Western names created just for Kickin' Up the Dust, as well as crowd favorites, like the jalapeno margarita.
Having an event that stands out from the rest has helped Young and Babb secure a lot of sponsorships, even though it's in its first year and the museum has yet to be built.
"We have gotten tremendous support," Babb says. "We're still looking for sponsorships and we're still working, but people are really rallying behind it. It's going to be a neat event and they want to be a part of it."
With such a large venue and a healthy list of entertainment, Babb and Young hope to see the guest list swell to anywhere between 600 and 1,000.
"We're looking at 600 plus attending, but we've had such great response, we're confident we'll see more than that," says Alice Alt, development officer for the museum. "Those twilight tickets [will be popular]. It's an after 9 o'clock ticket where you still get drinks, dessert, and still see everything."
Music will kick off in the saloon with a performance by Chris and Lolly, a couple of local artists who now reside in Nashville, Tenn.; an opening act by Heath Wright and the Hangmen, and main stage entertainment by Asleep at the Wheel.
The co-chairmen chose silent auction items they were personally interested in, and set a minimum bid of $300.
The Roberto Coin 18-karat gold bangle bracelet with a strip of diamonds and an afghan and display case with an estimated value of $2,500 are Babb and Young's favorites. Among the more intriguing items for men are a Umarex limited edition air gun with U.S. Marshals emblem and a Bass Reeves commemorative rifle.
For more information on this event, visit gala.usmarshalsmuseum.com or call (479) 709-3766.
High Profile on 03/01/2015