Fair Booster

Tom Kinion

Tom Kinion, a native of the Tri-Cities, was born and raised in Pasco and attended the Benton Franklin Fair from a very young age with his family. His father, Don Kinion, is a former president of the Market Stock Committee and Fair Booster of the Year in 2003. He taught Tom to give back to the community through service by supporting the local fair. At the beginning of learning the importance of the fair, Tom showed pigs as a kid and throughout High School while attending Pasco High before enlisting in the Air Force, which took him all over the world. In the Air Force, he continued showing the importance he learned through the fair to give back to the community and country. After his service to the country, he moved back to the Tri-Cities and landed in Kennewick before joining the Air Force reserves.

He is married to Kate Kinion, and they have three children: Clara, Cora, and Ben. All are active in 4-H and show animals at the Benton Franklin Fair. Tom continues to be a devoted volunteer at the fair and has been since he was young, assisting his father around the fair. A few years after moving back to the Tri-Cities, Tom joined the Market Stock Committee to help with the livestock auction and support the area youth during the livestock show. One of the first subcommittees he was on was the team that brought us the dual sale ring that is still used today. He was VP for one year and then was the president of the committee for the next six years.

During his leadership, the MSC auction was the first in the PNW to have a sale of over One Million dollars, largely thanks to our generous community. He also oversaw the MSC as they hosted the 2020 livestock sale during COVID-19 because of his willingness to help our youth in the area while other fairs were forced to close in a time of uncertainty. That year, he also oversaw the first Booster fund at our auction to allow our community to support the youth in a new way, bringing in enough money to raise the average and help many youth showman who use the extra money for either college or to continue their project in livestock.

As part of volunteering on the MSC, Tom spent countless hours on the phone researching and working with fellow members to ensure the best sale possible and keeping with current trends. In December of 2022, he resigned from the MSC to spend more time during the Best Week of Summer supporting his children as two show and sell pigs, and the other competes in the horse show. Tom also continues to grow his 4-H club as a leader of his dad’s old Boss Hogs Club. Tom also continues to volunteer at the Benton Franklin Fair and supporting our youth, and you will see him helping park campers before the fair starts this August.

2023 Kiwanis Club of Kennewick
2022 Nancy Sorick
2021 Finley FFA
2019 Steve Connor
2018 Aggie Mowry
2017 Curt Spaur
2016 Chris Parks; Mike Graves
2015 Delt Clark
2014 Vern & Sheryl Records
2013 Bleyhl Farm Service
2012 Kendra Myers
2011 George & Giny Rieck
2010 Mike & Shirley Thompson
2009 Rowdy & Laura Lee Barry
2008 Les Patterson; Kathy & Bill Nuckolls
2007 Roger Baisch; Allen & Mary Walch
2006 Ben Proctor; Colonel Ray Brock
2005 Bill & Barb Davis; Dick Peterson
2004 Marilyn Oliver Hyde
2003 Don Kinion; Marlene & Tim Tippett
2002 Dress Family
2001 Phyllis Quinton; Gretchen Schriner
2000 Buzz & Toni Zunker; Dave Rickenbach
1999 Bob Andrewjeski Family
1998 Jim & Marian Wetzel
1997 Carol Gossen; Leona Mackenstach
1996 Leila Zunker
1995 Charlene Fansler; Wanda Louder
1994 Walt Swearingen
1993 Charlie Pease
1992 Dave & Chris Garrett; Red Rutherford
1991 Jeff & Margaret Fulks
1990 Charlene Fansler; Donna Raines; Mary Davenport; Launi Berg;Sherry & Bob Tucker
1989 Jean Smith
1988 Dick Carstans
1987
1986 Jerry & Kathy Cargill
1985 Butch & Judy VanHollebeke
1984
1983
1982 Ruth Simmelink
1981 Walt Swearingen
1980 Bill & Phylis Parker
1979 Jim Bateman Leath Andrews
1978 Bill Heaston
1977 Vance Arter
1976 Frank Buckingham
1975 George & Mary Ward
1974 Gus Hokanson
1973 Charles Pease
1972 Fran Spooner
1971 Lucille Olson
1970 Howard Hayer
1969 Jack Taylor
1968 F.P. Meverden
1967 Frank Lampson
1966 J.C. Pratt