ELANCO Events Calendar Ready To Roll

Trevor Reed, who oversees the ELANCO Calendar of Events, remembers the status of the website when it was initiated three years ago. "In 2019, it was pretty full," recalled Reed, who noted that in March of 2020, the calendar came to a standstill when COVID-19 restrictions were announced. "It sat dormant for a while," said Reed.

Now that community events are at a normal level, Reed would like to see the calendar, which can be found at http://www.elancoevents.com, fill up again. For that to happen, he needs local organizations, which include nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies, such as first responders, to submit their events.

To clarify the most efficient use of the calendar, Reed has developed a list of guidelines, which can be found at the site. Events must be held in ELANCO School District or organized by an entity within the district, which includes New Holland and Terre Hill boroughs, Earl and East Earl townships, and Brecknock and Caernarvon townships. The calendar is intended for community events open to the public and benefiting nonprofit organizations in ELANCO. Marketing endeavors by businesses, such as sales, promotions, and free workshops, along with personal fundraisers, will not be posted. Organizations are limited to two events per month.

Reed has created a form, located at the site, to make it easy to submit events. The form asks for basic information, including the event title, location, time, and contact information. "Once (the organization) submits the event, it goes directly to me," said Reed. "I put it up and send them a link so they can check it for accuracy." Reed pointed out that the listing on the calendar will include a link to the organization's website or other online information source.

The idea for the calendar has its roots in the ELANCO Community Collaboration meetings held quarterly at Garden Spot High School. The meetings are attended by representatives of community organizations such as the school district, fire and police departments, businesses, the library, and local nonprofits. "(In those meetings), everyone talks about what is going on with the various organizations, and we thought, 'Can we have a site where we can put all these different events?'" recalled Reed. At the May meeting, the calendar was discussed, and the ELANCO Library submitted some events. Reed said that the site is made for events like the New Holland Fair, Christmas on Main, and the recent event held for Vietnam veterans. He anticipates receiving submissions for more area happenings in the coming months.

Reed recalled that in 2019, ELANCO Dementia Friendly Community events, such as Memory Cafes, were posted, but in the future, he would like to see local car shows, concerts in the park, and auctions held by local nonprofits on the site. "Things like that would be perfect," he said.

Upcoming events on the calendar include a workshop about journalism at the ELANCO Library on Wednesday, Aug. 10, and the New Holland Farmers Fair, which will be held from Monday, Sept. 26, through Saturday, Oct. 1. This reporter has already saved the site to her favorites.