Citizens Bank Partners with Sonic for 25th Anniversary of ‘Celebrate America’ in Riverside Park on Monday, July 4
BATESVILLE, Ark. (May 9, 2022) — Celebrate America, the annual Fourth of July celebration of our nation’s founding, will mark its 25th anniversary this summer. Citizens Bank will host the event with new presenting sponsor Sonic Drive-In on Monday, July 4, at Riverside Park in Batesville.
“Citizens Bank is especially excited to host the 25th anniversary of one of the state’s largest Independence Day celebrations and our largest show ever,” said Micah Beard, Citizens Bank regional president. “It’s always a special time for families and friends to gather in our community for a day of fun, and we’re really thankful to have Sonic on board as our presenting sponsor.”
A full day of food, fun, giveaways and live music is scheduled along the banks of the White River in the park. Enjoy festive activities throughout the day and relax with live music featuring Cory Jackson all evening long. As the night concludes, watch one of the largest fireworks shows in the state, beginning at 9:15 p.m.
“We are thrilled to be a presenting sponsor of Celebrate America this year,” said Ricky Davis, owner of Sonic Drive-In of Batesville. “Bringing the community together is important to our company and we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve in this role.”
For more information about Citizens Bank and its community focus, visit TheCitizensBank.net.
GRAPHICS to accompany this release are found here.
About Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank was founded in 1953 by a group of business and civic leaders. Citizens Bank, with assets exceeding $1.2 billion, is a financial services organization that is committed to serving the needs of the communities it serves. Its progressive community banking model
focuses on the delivery of exceptional customer service while employing advanced technology and products which allow its customers to have one bank to serve all their needs. The bank takes pride in a heritage of independence that honors the vision of its founders and remains dedicated to the financial progress of the people it serves. For more information about Citizens Bank and its talented team of leaders, visit TheCitizensBank.net.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.