COEUR d’ALENE — The North Idaho State Fair celebrated several of its friends and supporters Saturday afternoon during the Friends of the Fair award presentation at the main stage of the fairgrounds.

“Volunteers are the backbone of what we do here,” said Jerry Johnson, chairman of the fair board.

This year boasted the biggest and best-ever Cowboy Ball, which raised nearly $110,000 for capital improvements for the fairgrounds as well as youth scholarships.

Johnson said the Foundation was able to put $35,000 toward the new LED lights in the arena thanks to those who helped raise those funds.

“The lights up there before were burning out, falling down," Johnson said. "We couldn’t even buy light bulbs any more to replace those."

This record year earned the Cowboy Ball Committee the Outstanding Volunteer Group of the Year award.

The Outstanding Business of the Year award went to Classic Electric and the Feusier family. Father and son Paul and Todd cheerfully accepted the award.

“Paul decided he might retire and cut back a little bit, but he and Todd are here every year, they know our system, and they contribute thousands of hours,” Johnson said. “They keep the lights on, the vendors going. They’ve been a tremendous asset to this place.”

The Clyde Boatright Foundation Award for outstanding service was awarded to Arlene Pischner, who was just a little girl when the fair became a big part of her life.

“All of us that grew up on this grass started out in 4-H and our award winner this year began that journey in 1950,” said fair board vice president Gena Loper. “She is the one who inspired me to stay here and support the Foundation and come back and do something for the community the way I see her do every year. We all have that familiar face that we look for, and mine is Arlene.”

Loper hugged Pischner as she handed her the plaque.

“I have enjoyed all of my time I’ve ever been involved with 4-H days, fair days. I started out in the Pine Tree 4-H Club in 1950. And I had the grand champion steer in 1952,” Pischner said. “I was on the fair board for 10 years. I’ve enjoyed every single bit of it.”

Teresa Balderrama, who serves as the Kootenai/Shoshone 4-H program coordinator, was selected as the Outstanding Person of the Year. She came up with the concept of the Pen the Pigs event, which brought in $85,000 for pig panels earlier this year.

“That’s why you’re our award recipient today,” Johnson said to a smiling Balderrama. “One more plaque on the wall, right?”

Fair manager Alexcia Jordan said this year’s recipients are all more than deserving of their awards.

“The fairgrounds benefits so much from people like this in our community,” she said.