ELKO, Nev. (AP) - A Nevada county commission asked a community center to reconsider its decision to cancel the 2021 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering over financial concerns stemming from the coronavirus.
The Elko County Commission sent a letter Monday to the Western Folklife Center requesting that its board of trustees rescind the cancellation of the event scheduled for late January, The Elko Daily Free Press reports.
The trustees said in a statement Wednesday that reviews of three operating scenarios indicated the center could lose from $280,000 to $1.2 million by proceeding with the event.
Established in 1985, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering hosts poets, musicians, artisans, and storytellers who share their work, the event’s website said.
The county commission’s letter asked Paul Caudill, board chairman of the nonprofit center, to find another solution by working with Elko County, the city, and the convention and visitors authority, chamber of commerce and downtown business association in Elko.
Elko Mayor Reece Keener said that while the event is a valuable revenue source for local businesses during the winter, the pandemic has put the center in a position in which making financial commitments and signing contracts for the event is risky.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
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