“Service to the community” has been the major theme of the Montgomery Ruritan Club and that community service has taken many forms. Although no record exists, the Ruritans have donated thousands of dollars to further civic improvements, help charitable organizations, Barr-Reeve Scholarship Foundation, school projects and programs, and individuals with special hardships. For thirteen years 1997 to 2009, the Ruritan Club and Montgomery Park hosted the Annual Daviess County Cancer Society “Relay For Life” which raised many thousands of dollars each year.

The Montgomery Ruritan Club annually supports in ongoing ways several local charities and educational projects in Barr-Reeve Community Schools and the Daviess County Community in general. No complete record exists of the total amounts donated to local charities and special needs. However, donations have been and are made to many of the following organizations and situations on an annual basis or as requested: Muscular Dystrophy, American Red Cross of Daviess County, American Cancer Society, United Way of Daviess County, Girl Scouts, “Shop With A Cop,” Daviess County Relay for Life Fund Raiser, Indiana Autism Society, Special hardship donations made to area families, Barr-Reeve School Organizations and other schools of the community.

The Ruritan Club has contributed over $8,450 to the Barr-Reeve Scholarship Foundation since 1995. The club has continually supported the BRSF and the youth of the Barr-Reeve Community in many ways through gifts and equipment donations of this nature. The Ruritans hosted the Daviess County Cancer Society’s “Relay For Life” on the Turkey Trot Festival Grounds for 13 years from 1997 thru June of 2009. The club and park grounds have also played host to the various business employee’s picnic or appreciation gatherings. In addition, several thousands of dollars are spent annually on campground maintenance and facility improvements around the park and festival ground.

Major additions and upgrading to the park campgrounds costing in excess of $200,000 was completed in the spring of 1999 and again in 2004, a new playground was added to the park campgrounds, in the spring of 2000 and upgraded in 2007, a new grandstand seating several hundred people was constructed on the south side of the track area in the late summer of 2000, and a major upgrading of the Park Annex was completed in 2004. 1n the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2007, central drive ways in the campground areas were blacktopped at a collective cost of over $40,000. The club initiated its own web site in early 2007.

In the fall of 2007, a new service building was constructed near the campground office at a cost of over $18,000, a new roof was installed on the Community Building in the May 2008 at a cost of$13,000, a new addition to Community Building parking area was completed in the fall of 2008 at a cost of $15,000, and 10 modern year around campsites were constructed in October of 2010 at a cost of $18,000.

In the fall of 2013, the Ruritan Club purchased approximately 1.6 acres of lake front property along the eastern shores of Indian Rock Lake formerly known as the Grannan Property for a cost of $60,000. Additional campground, park and festival grounds improvements are in the planning stages and will be completed in order of priority and the availability of funding.

Turkey Trot Book Page 1

Turkey Trot Book Page 2