Sebring Centennial seeks ideas, participation

With less than a year left before the Sebring Centennial Celebration kicks off in 2012, more participation and ideas are needed to get this "grassroots effort" into gear.

An event this size will need some funding, so a non-profit a 501-4C corporation, for a civic organization, has been set up. Non-tax deductible donations can be made at Highlands Independent Bank in the name of Sebring Centennial Celebration Inc.

Allen C. Altvater III, president of the Sebring Centennial Committee, said in one of its earlier committee meetings a member suggested a centennial event such as this needed to raise upward of $2 million.

"Jaws dropped," he said. "I was stunned. What do we even need $2,000 for? I was looking at more of a grassroots effort of bringing together the leaders in the community to figure out how we will accomplish this."

One idea that's getting thumped around is starting off the celebration on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 with a parade and possibly a concert, said Altvater.

"It probably will be an early afternoon parade," he said, adding they will speak with Sebring High School officials to see if the band would be interested in holding a concert at City Pier Park.

To draw some publicity, another committee member suggested a caravan of (perhaps donated) Chrysler Sebring cars driving down from Sebring, Ohio, to Sebring, Fla., with publicity stops along the way.

Someone suggested Sebring race cars on the trip, although it probably wasn't practical due to gas mileage/gas prices and street-readiness.

The committee members are creating a list of things to be done and are in the process of putting together groups to do it.

"We need to get the word out to organizations that can make these ideas happen," he said. "We need to get the community of faith involved with messages based around the community and roots here in Sebring."

When George Sebring founded the city, he laid out choice tracts of land for churches and Altvater felt it was time for some of the church representatives to talk about their history.

The year 2012 will also be the 75-year anniversary for the Highlands County Fair and the 60-year anniversary for the 12 Hours of Sebring races. They may look at ways to tie these events into the city's centennial.

Altvater would like to approach the school board to get the Sebring public school students involved.

He thought perhaps students at Sebring High School could get involved through some type of homecoming event, as well as Sebring Middle School and Woodlawn Elementary School with writing and history research contests - offering some type of prizes.

Some fundraising event ideas they are kicking around are a 5-K run and a golf tournament.

A website is in the works at www.sebring100.com.

"There's nothing on it right now," he said. "I'm hoping we get the web page up soon."

Basically it's a forum, if a group has an idea for a centennial event it can be submitted and later inserted onto a calendar.

The Sebring Historical Society's archivist Carol Goad was working full-time on the centennial book, which will be published by the historical society.

"We will be approaching community businesses and clubs about buying ads for the Sebring book," he said. We're hoping it will take care of the majority of costs involved in producing the book."

He expected the book to be black and white. He didn't know if they would sell enough advertising to cover the cost of doing it in color.

The 75-year book was sold for $2 a copy, he said. A book was published for the 50-year as well as for the 75-year city anniversaries.

The approximately 150-page centennial book will possibly retail at about $20 a copy, Goad said.

"Our first printing will be 5,000 copies," she said. "I'm really excited about this book and I think people are really going to be surprised about some of the things in it."

They were also hoping the sale of the book will help fund the archivist position, Altvater said, referring to Goad as a jewel.