WFFC - Local articles

[SkydiveMO 0]

Sky-diving meet canceled for 2007
Published Online Mar 28, 2007
By Tim Mitchell

RANTOUL – The World Free Fall Convention will not be returning to Rantoul this summer. Rantoul Mayor Neal Williams said he got a letter Tuesday afternoon notifying him that the sky-diving convention will not be held this summer at the Rantoul airport. "I am surprised and disappointed," Wiliams said. "This event had the opportunity the last several years to be one of the better events in the county."

Convention founder and president Don Kirlin confirmed that the 10-day event would not be held at all in 2007. It had been held in late July and early August at the Rantoul airport. Kirlin cited logistic and personal reasons for the convention's cancellation. "We need to recharge our batteries and start fresh reinventing the World Free Fall Convention for the future," Kirlin said. "I've always tried to think outside the box. I'm open to ideas, and look to the sky-diving community for ideas as we assess every aspect of our operation."

"Mr. Kirlin has a lot going on right now, and he needs a break from the convention," convention spokeswoman Beth Mahlo said Tuesday. Kirlin said his organization has not decided where the convention would be held during the summer of 2008. "I'm not sure where we will be in 2008, but it is my desire along with the staff of the World Free Fall Convention that we will be back in the grand form in which the convention grew up from the 1990s," he said.

The convention had been held in Quincy from 1990 to 2001 and in Rantoul since 2002. Attendance has been dwindling at the event since participation reached 5,732 jumpers in Quincy in 2000. The event drew 2,000 jumpers in its first year at Rantoul in 2002. Last year, only 800 sky divers showed up for the event, an all-time low, according to festival records. Mahlo said between 200 and 300 volunteers also attended the 2006 convention in Rantoul.

Rantoul Village Attorney Ken Beth said the convention signed a five-year contract in 2003 to hold the event at Rantoul. That contract was scheduled to run through Sept. 30, 2008, Beth said. Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joe Bolser said he is sad it learn the convention won't be coming back. "It helped some of our businesses, especially those that sold groceries, clothing and gasoline," Bolser said. "I think the fun of the convention will be missed. It was an exciting thing to see. I'm sad not to see it come back, but I understand the economics behind the decision."

The convention also brought tragedy to the Rantoul during its time in Champaign County. Five people died in sky-diving related incidents at the convention while it was at Rantoul. Williams thanked the hundreds of volunteers from Rantoul and Champaign County who supported the convention during its run there. "I think the village did an outstanding job in supporting this event," Williams said. "The event introduced people from all over the world to the wonderful things we have to offer in Rantoul, and I believe its impact will be felt for years to come." Kirlin said the event drew visitors from every state and more than 70 countries. "We have loved every minute of the past 17 years," he said.

[SkydiveMO 0]

Rantoul wants to be paid by Free Fall organizers 1
Published Online Mar 29, 2007
By Tim Mitchell

RANTOUL – A village board member says he thinks the World Free Fall Convention should pay compensation to the village for failing to meet the final two years of its contract to hold the event in Rantoul. Convention organizers announced on Tuesday they were canceling this year's convention, which had been scheduled for the Rantoul airport. The village had a contract to host the event through 2008.

"The village kept its end of the bargain," village board member Mike Graham said Wednesday. "It is up to the convention to keep its end of the bargain. If there are any contract obligations left, they need to pay us now." Convention spokeswoman Beth Mahlo said she wouldn't respond until after she had read a copy of the contract it signed with the village. "We'll have to examine the contract, but I don't think we owe them a monetary amount," Mahlo said. "All our payments were based on head counts. Without a head count, there is no money due."

According to village records, Rantoul spent more than $226,000 to host the sky-diving convention since it first arrived in 2002. Rantoul Comptroller Scot Brandon said the village spent $130,000 to have M&R Builders construct permanent shower facilities. The village originally intended to pay for the 13 men's and 11 women's showers from money paid by convention participants and the convention itself. Under a contract the village board approved on Dec. 13, 2003, all convention participants were supposed to pay $10 per person to reimburse the village for the cost of the showers and other costs related to the convention.

Under the agreement, the village would keep the first $30,000 generated each year by the fee. Money over and above the $30,000 would be spent for marketing and advertising for the convention. At the time the contract was signed, the village expected to raise between $28,000 and $57,000 a year from the fees. But actual money received by the village was much lower, according to Brandon. Brandon said the village received $15,130 in fee revenue in 2004, $10,640 in 2005 and $6,508 in 2006.

According to Brandon, the village only recouped $32,278 for the $130,000 it spent on the showers. "The idea all along was to make it a better show from one year to the next to pay for those costs," said Rantoul Mayor Neal Williams. "When it didn't happen, we looked to (convention) management to improve that attendance. But the number of participants fell from 2,800 the first year in Rantoul to 800 the final year." Brandon said the village spent $6,835 on utility services, $5,316 on legal costs and $54,193 on other expenses, which included installing electrical and water hookups and leasing all-terrain vehicles for the police.

The village also gave the convention $10,000 in both 2002 and 2004 in Rantoul to pay for advertising and marketing. Rantoul Recreation Department Director Rich Thomas said some labor from his staff was used to set up bleachers and mow the grass, but he said the costs were "negligible." "We enjoyed having the convention here, and they were good for the hotels, motels and merchants," said village board member Ron Loy. "But it was a yearly expense for the village. I hate to see them go, but it really isn't a loss."

Village board member Chuck Smith said he was concerned over the expense of the convention. "We did invest quite a bit of money into the facilities to support their activities," Smith said. "The costs are there." Williams said that, while the village lost money on the convention, local businesses received a boost from the visitors who spent 10 days each summer in Rantoul. "I spoke to a mechanic who said the convention represented an additional $1,000 of income for him over a 10-day period," Williams said. "Our hotels, gas stations and retail stores all got extra business. Our bars and restaurants were filled with people during the convention. All that money will be missed."

Brandon estimated that the village received $11,701 in additional hotel-motel tax revenue attributable to the convention over the past four years. Williams said the money spent on the showers won't completely go to waste. He said they will also be used by the Illini Boy Scout Jamboree and the I&I Tractor Club.

Village board member Herman Fogal said the public relations Rantoul received from holding the convention outweighed its costs. "I think we got some good publicity out of it," Fogal said. "I think people had a lot of fun at the convention. I wish we would have them back again, but that's the way it is."

HOW MUCH THE CONVENTION COST RANTOUL
New shower facilities, $130,000
Marketing payments, $20,000
Police overtime, $9,983
Utilities, $6,835
Legal costs, $5,316
Other expenses, $54,193
Total, $226,327

[normiss 897]

exactly WHERE are those new shower facilities???
I recall using OLD AIR FORCE showers while I was there. Seems to me we ALL paid for those.

did I miss something?

[kingbunky 3]

... and how exactly do you justify over $5,000 per shower? i wonder which town councillor's cousin got the contract.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[PhreeZone 20]

They had compltely new/refurbished ones in 2004. 2002 was in the portable showers that were great when cleaned but horrible the rest of the time.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[billvon 3,120]

>and how exactly do you justify over $5,000 per shower?

I'll do it for $1000 per shower! Save the town lots of money and let me buy everyone beer. (oh, wait, the beer was free. Never mind.)

[mx757 4]

the "new WFFC showers" were often dirty, messy. I liked the portable fire service showers better.
looked like it used to be a class room and they just added a drain few shower heads..

I think showers they built at Quincy were better..

[lilDevil 2]

HOW MUCH THE CONVENTION COST RANTOUL
New shower facilities, $130,000
Marketing payments, $20,000
Police overtime, $9,983
Utilities, $6,835
Legal costs, $5,316
Other expenses, $54,193
Total, $226,327

[sunshine 2]

The new showers were great. Of course i only know about the women's showers. yeah, sometimes there were nasty shower stalls, but thats cause some people were slobs.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Better yet how do you justify $54,000 in other expenses.That is quite a line item.

[simplyputsi 0]

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Better yet how do you justify $54,000 in other expenses.That is quite a line item.

Free t-shirts maybe??

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[2fat2fly 0]

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Better yet how do you justify $54,000 in other expenses.That is quite a line item.

They must have spent the $49.99 for my online expense report class

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[skinnyshrek 0]

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Better yet how do you justify $54,000 in other expenses.That is quite a line item.

the cheek of it next the y will want a $30 registration fee

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[Chiquita 14]

the cheek of it next the y will want a $30 registration fee