How to be a booster for your town - Phoenix, Arizona


A booster is an old-fashioned term for someone who proudly, and loudly, proclaims the virtues of their town. I like to read old books, and boosters tended to be businessmen who visited other cities, went to conventions, that sort of thing, and always made it a point to talk about how great their town is.

A typical booster would grab you by the lapel and start raving about their town, saying things like, "Say buddy, haven't you ever heard of our town? Well, I declare! Where have you been? It's the fastest-growing place in the tri-county area! Just last year we installed a new water works that will..."

You really don't see many old-fashioned boosters nowadays, but I'm one of them. I just love Phoenix, and I can't wait to tell you how wonderful it. "Say, do you know that it's winter and there isn't a bit of snow out there? Yessiree, you can go play golf anytime you want to, and there are plenty of golf courses!" See what I mean? Sorry if it gets a bit annoying, but I really can't stop it.

Being a booster for your town is like being true to your school. It's about a passionate feeling that while other places may be just fine, there's just nothing like your place. You can call it cheering, or promotion. I'm an old advertising guy, and to me it's just PR (Public Relations).

Boosters are typically businesspeople who will profit by having more people know about their town, or move there. But boosters can be anyone who cares about where they live. Boosters can be people who pick up trash blowing down their street, just because they care about their street. Boosters are people who get involved with local politics to see if something can be beautified in their town, or a historic building can be preserved, it doesn't have to be for profit.

So I will continue to boost. I'll try not to grab you by the lapel, but I do want you to know how much I like my town. "And say, did you see the beautiful trees that were recently planted on Grand Avenue?"

Boost for Phoenix!

Image at the top of this post: Valley National Bank President Walter Bimson in the 1940s. He boosted for Phoenix, and got tremendously rich in the process. His eyes are the eyes of a booster.

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