Four decades ago, more than 5,000 people stood in the grandstands of the Dubuque Greyhound Park run by the Dubuque Racing Association.
On Thursday night at Q Casino + Resort, current Dubuque leaders stood in their place, reflecting on an organization that helped keep Dubuque alive when, in 1983, the jobless rate was the highest in the U.S. and layoffs were commonplace.
“You think about what the DRA meant to the city, and you think back on all the things that are there now. … If they weren’t there, what would we be (as a city)?” Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh said in an address at the event. “It did something to this community. It saved us in many ways.”
Thursday night’s public event included signature drinks, food, guest speakers and a celebratory toast to the Dubuque Racing Association that is now referred to by its initials, DRA.
The nonprofit began through the efforts of a small number of private citizens. Their work — which included the passage of a $7.9 million general obligation bond — led to the construction of a new greyhound race track on Chaplain Schmitt Island in 1985.
As people left the city in the mid ’80s to what they believed were greener pastures, a now-infamous phrase materialized: “Will the last one that leaves Dubuque please turn off the lights?”
Ron Herrig, one of DRA’s founding board members, remembers those days. Herrig said Thursday that the lights have been turned back on and are burning brightly.
“Those times were challenging, but they were great times, and it’s been a wild ride for 40 years,” he said at Thursday’s celebration.
DRA opened its nonprofit casino in 1995 on the island that attracted tourists from all walks of life to the Key City. Soon, DRA began bringing in millions in revenue and spurred economic growth.
Those revenues were then pumped back into the city of Dubuque, nonprofits and community initiatives. As of today, the organization reports it has created an estimated $1 billion in economic impact since 1985 and has given over $240 million to the city and $65 million to local nonprofits.
Community leaders predicted Thursday that the community impact achieved by DRA so far is just the beginning.
“The sky’s the limit,” City Council Member Katy Wethal said Thursday. “We get to create it, and that’s what Dubuquers have created.”
Keith Rahe, CEO of Travel Dubuque, said DRA is a large reason why people come to the region.
“I really tip my hat to everyone with that organization,” Rahe said. “This really initiated and got things going for us. … We got people excited to come to Dubuque, Dubuque County, and really showcase what we have to offer.”
For Herrig, standing in a place he helped build, Thursday’s celebratory moment was surreal. He said he remembers helping choose where the greyhound track would be built.
“It hasn’t completely hit me yet. I can’t believe it,” he said of DRA’s impact. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
During the event, Herrig was honored with the inaugural DRA Champion Award. Mandy Miller, DRA’s manager of strategic philanthropy, presented the award to Herrig, saying it represents his steadfast dedication to the organization for 40 years.
Thursday night’s event took place against the backdrop of an ever-changing Chaplain Schmitt Island, as $83 million in construction investment on the Q Casino + Resort campus continues. Work on an outdoor amphitheater and boutique hotel are well underway.
“What’s next? Who knows,” DRA Board Chairperson Lori Thielen said. “Forty years from now, I hope that the DRA again changed the trajectory of Dubuque, the region and the state.”