Big Iron Rap Charity: Crisis and Containment

To the Editor:
 
   Damage control. Damage Control. Damage control. The Big Iron Rap Festival has a PR crisis brewing. One of the organizers has a bad habit of insulting and threatening anyone from the community who asks a question. In efforts to sway public opinion they took out a full-page ad in the DCI to thank everyone involved, including the community of Kasson. If they are so appreciative of the community why does the woman in charge continue to treat legitimate inquiries with hostility over the years? Why does she resort to name calling and threats when a mother asks a trucker to turn down the ground shaking obscenities behind her house? If you inquire about the noise she threatens to send the police to your house and challenges you to come down and meet her.
The ad stated that “the biggest thanks goes to the Kasson Community” who “graciously accept these individuals and their pride rolling into town to put on a display.” One thing they got right is that they sure do put on a display...of drunkenness and reckless abandon for the community.
The woman in charge informed our neighborhood that Big Iron makes the City of Kasson and the Dodge County Fair Board too much money so they don’t care about private citizens. She even sent a video of her waving cash. “Good Luck, Honey!” is what she told our neighbors who inquired about the interstate subwooofers blasting all day and night. That is of course after she immaturely accused the mother of being “against charity.” We still have no answers as to  hether every attendee at the event is allowed to violate the city noise ordinance 24/7 during the event.
The most confusing thing the ad stated was about the Kasson community “accepting these individuals and their pride.” I don’t know if they are horrible writers or if it was some sort of nod to the LGBTQIA+ Community. Since Big Iron is now a Big White-Rap Festival it wouldn’t surprise me if other more diverse contradictions have started making their way into the event.
While the organizers frequently pat themselves on the back for their charitable work they fail to ever disclose the amounts raised nor HOW and WHERE they “help families in need due illness”. It is so vague and generic its begging for an IRS audit. It’s surprising they don’t share that information since they boast of and condemn everyone else with their charitable efforts. As of 10/13/23 the website only has three sentences about the charity. Two on the ‘Home’ tab and one on the ‘Event’ tab. “The Big Iron Classic takes pride in supporting local charities by collecting toys for those in need.” How does collecting toys support local charities? Toys for Tots is a national charity yet the website states plural and local ‘charities’ are supported by toy donations?
“Together we can make a real difference in the lives of others and show the world the generosity and compassion that defines our community.” I wonder if they took that off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? The only other sentence about the charity states that they are, “...one of the local areas largest charity contributors of toys.” This sentence is also vague and concealing.
The ‘local area’? As opposed to the non-local area? If it wasn’t such a poorly constructed sentence I might think they were trying to deceptively label their Rap Festival a charity. The whole charitable shuck-and-jive routine is veiled, cloaked, and tired. Where is the transparency?
The full-page ad is disingenuous crisis management. She told us plainly that she nor the authorities care about the community because they are making money, and she sent a video taunting community members. The people of Kasson deserve more of an explanation as to why this Big Iron Rap Festival can wreak havoc on our workdays, sleep, and weekend routines. Three generic sentences about charity doesn’t make up for the obnoxious noise, littering, vandalism and other forms of debauchery that invade the town each year. For 4 days...not 2 like the website states.
I speak for many and have spoken with many on the South and East borders of the fairgrounds. If the Big Iron Rap Festival could limit the music to the live entertainment times it would go a lot farther than a halfhearted PR stunt in the DCI. Letting the truckers play their rap all day and night on jumbo truck speakers is inconsiderate and does not respect our community.
Terry Hawkins
Kasson