With the Saddle Show and Rodeo back in the fold for another year, it’s time for another San Benito County tradition: The Hollister Independence Rally.
This year’s rally rode a long road to get here, but the bikers will be roaring into town on Friday. We welcome them with open arms.
While some may think it is a noisy affair that clogs the streets, the rally has much to offer this community.
For one, it’s an economic boon for local businesses.
The tens of thousands of people that come to show off their shiny hardware and have a good time will put money in locals’ pockets. Hungry, thirsty and sleepy bikers will spend loads of cash on beds, bread and beer. And it should not be forgotten that a chunk of the rally’s proceeds benefit local charities.
But these are tough economic times for the City of Hollister and the estimated $280,000 tab to provide security for the rally nearly derailed the event this year. For the first time, city officials told rally organizers they would have to pay police salaries to provide security. For a while, the rally’s future was in doubt.
Thankfully, it stayed on track. Rally organizers upped the number of vendors to bring in more money and charged a $5 fee to park the bikes to get the cash.
It would have been a mistake for Hollister to lose the event, because the rally has done so much to put the city on the map. The fact is, the rally is the most effective and widest-reaching public relations tool Hollister has. If people come to town for rally fun, they will see how beautiful our area is and they just might come back.
But the debate earlier this year over the rally’s future raises an important issue that should not be lost in the glare of the chrome and the rumble of the engines this weekend.
The city cannot be expected to pay for rally security. If the matter is not resolved next year, there likely will have to be another long, soul-searching discussion of the rally’s future. It simply isn’t feasible or fiscally responsible for a city that, according to Mayor Tony Bruscia, is staring at a $16 million deficit in five years.
But that doesn’t mean the rally, which does so much for the city, has to go away. What it means is, in the coming year, rally organizers have to find more ways to pay Hollister police for the time they work on the July 4 weekend. Coming up with $280,000 for security this year, meant rally organizers had to double the revenue the event usually takes in – a tough task that will become an ongoing challenge.
To meet that challenge, the Hollister Independence Rally Committee must find creative ways to bring in cash. A good step would be to capitalize on the smarts and know-how of a successful nearby event that supports itself – The Gilroy Garlic Festival. Ask Gilroy organizers for some tips.
One thing rally organizers can think about is boosting corporate sponsorship. The Gilroy Garlic Festival has used corporate sponsorship to great effect to defray costs. There must be dozens of other ways to bring in the money to keep this important and entertaining tradition alive without it being an unbearable burden for the City of Hollister.
So, eat drink and be merry this weekend. But keep the future in mind, because we don’t want the rally to die.
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