A donation from St. Rose Health Center will allow a welcome relief to those who attend the Barton County Fair during the dog days of summer.
St. Rose recently donated six portable air-conditioning units to the Barton County Fair Board for use in Expo buildings.
“This donation is a lifesaver for us,” Fair Board President Charles Atkinson said. “All of us really appreciate St. Rose and what it does for us and the rest of the community.”
One cooling unit will stir up a breeze at the concession stand in Expo II during the fair; others will be used in that building and Expo I.
“They will complement the porta-coolers we already have,” Atkinson said. “We now will be able to circulate air more effectively through the buildings.
“Since the units are small and convenient, they can be placed where they can do the most good – even in tight corners,” Atkinson said. “We will use every opportunity to help people cool off a little bit.”
Even though people are the first priority, the cooling units will help in other ways. For example, electronic equipment used during fair concerts sometimes needs a cool-down.
“Items such as consoles and sound boards can heat up during a concert,” Atkinson explained. “We will be able to run some cool air in their direction to help keep them from shorting out.”
Atkinson noted the fair board is “really strong on community involvement. We are all volunteers and some of us wouldn’t have been doing this for the last 24 years if we didn’t believe in Barton County and its communities. We take any opportunity to work with organizations such as St. Rose.”
Mark Mingenback, St. Rose director of marketing, said the donated portable units were used as back-ups when the facility’s air conditioning was out of service a while back.
“These units allowed our facilities to be maintained at a comfortable temperature while the permanent units were being repaired,” Mingenback explained. “We are keeping three units, which is enough to cover anticipated needs in our smaller, modernized facility.”
The new St. Rose will soon open in the former Medical Office Building next door.
Mingenback noted the fair is a perfect fit for the portable coolers.
“The fair is an important non-profit educational part of our community,” he said. “These cooling units will provide a more comfortable setting for fairgoers. We are pleased the coolers found a good home.”
St. Rose specializes in primary care, prevention and wellness. Services include St. Rose Family Medicine & Urgent Care, Great Bend Internists, imaging, infusion clinic, WellnessWorks, one-day surgical procedures, Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice and a comprehensive Specialty Clinic. St. Rose is co-owned by Hays Medical Center and Centura Health.
