Remembering former fair president
Updated: February 12, 2013
DECATUR -- Many players paid tribute to Dallas Beyer at the Macon County Fairgrounds Sunday afternoon. They played to honor the former fair president who was shot and killed in 2005.
Investigators still haven't tracked down the person who murdered Dallas, but people who knew him say he would want them to play on. Dallas had volunteered at the Macon County Fair for more than 30-years. Players at the bingo hall gave back in honor of a man who gave so much.
"Everybody liked Dallas," said Sandy Hicks, of Decatur. "He'd just run everything and he was good at it. He was very special."
Dallas didn't play there. But he was in charge of Bingo Night for decades at the fairgrounds. People come to play five nights a week to raise money for the fair.
"He just always thought there should be a place for kids to show their projects as well as adults and 4H kids as well," said County Fair Board Member Melissa Muirheid. "We have a regular crowd and we have a crowd that follows us every year for the scholarship fund."
But Sunday's game was a special one. All the money raised goes toward Dallas' scholarship fund.
"That's something he would have loved," said Hicks.
Dallas was shot to death at the fairgrounds in 2005.
"It was very near Christmas and it was just very sad," said Hicks.
Investigators said the shooter took thousands of dollars after bingo that night.
"It just feels like he's still here," said Muirheid. "They haven't caught the person that murdered him and that always goes through my mind every time we have this session."
Even though years have passed, Dallas' memory lives on. And his passion for the Macon County community continues with each draw of the bingo ball.
"He was just a big part of our fair and bingo that he's just somebody we're never going to forget," said Muirheid.
Players paid different amounts depending on what kind of cards they had. Organizers raised $5,000 in scholarship money last year.
Investigators still haven't tracked down the person who murdered Dallas, but people who knew him say he would want them to play on. Dallas had volunteered at the Macon County Fair for more than 30-years. Players at the bingo hall gave back in honor of a man who gave so much.
"Everybody liked Dallas," said Sandy Hicks, of Decatur. "He'd just run everything and he was good at it. He was very special."
Dallas didn't play there. But he was in charge of Bingo Night for decades at the fairgrounds. People come to play five nights a week to raise money for the fair.
"He just always thought there should be a place for kids to show their projects as well as adults and 4H kids as well," said County Fair Board Member Melissa Muirheid. "We have a regular crowd and we have a crowd that follows us every year for the scholarship fund."
But Sunday's game was a special one. All the money raised goes toward Dallas' scholarship fund.
"That's something he would have loved," said Hicks.
Dallas was shot to death at the fairgrounds in 2005.
"It was very near Christmas and it was just very sad," said Hicks.
Investigators said the shooter took thousands of dollars after bingo that night.
"It just feels like he's still here," said Muirheid. "They haven't caught the person that murdered him and that always goes through my mind every time we have this session."
Even though years have passed, Dallas' memory lives on. And his passion for the Macon County community continues with each draw of the bingo ball.
"He was just a big part of our fair and bingo that he's just somebody we're never going to forget," said Muirheid.
Players paid different amounts depending on what kind of cards they had. Organizers raised $5,000 in scholarship money last year.
