The very first Logan County Sheep Improvement Association banquet dates back to the mid-1940s, and this year, committee members are making preparations to celebrate the 75th annual banquet, also the final banquet the group plans to host, slated for Thursday, March 5.
The gathering for sheep producers in the county and other interested community members takes place at the Rushsylvania Church of Christ, 170 E. Mill St.
Banquet chair Pat Myers said Thursday that the organization decided five years ago at the 70-year mark that their goal would be to host banquets up until they reached the 75th year anniversary.
“We wanted to end things on a high note,” she said. “We’ve hosted 75 banquets, and we’re pretty proud of that. We have one of the nicest sheep association banquets in the state.
“While the Logan County Sheep Improvement Association will still be around, we decided this will be our final year for a formal banquet. There’s a lot of work and planning that goes into it, and we wanted to put our time and energy into making sure this was a nice finale event.
“However, we can still get together for other occasions, as we enjoy each other’s company. For many of us, we’ve spent a lifetime as sheep producers, so we have developed close friendships.”
Myers related that the evening begins with appetizers at 6 p.m., and dinner served at 6:30 p.m., catered by Nancy Helmuth, with the meat prepared by the Plaza Inn Family Restaurant and Catering of Mt. Victory.
“We are planning an evening for all of us to fellowship and enjoy each others’ company. We want to celebrate our successes and recognize all of the active sheep producers we have here in the county.”
The banquet organizer estimates that currently, there are approximately 20 active sheep producers in Logan County.
During the event, the lamb and wool queen and princess will be crowned, and industry updates will be provided.
In addition, the organization plans to show video from the association’s 50th year banquet, “to provide a time to reminisce,” Myers said.
Tickets for the meal are $14 for adults and $7 for children, which should be purchased by Feb. 27 by contacting Myers at (937) 935-1975