Dave Granson

David Granson is known as the father of the Haynes Apperson Sports Festival and for his outstanding support of Howard County athletics.

In 1983, Granson helped organize a Howard County sports festival, which one year later became the first official Haynes Apperson Sports Festival. For the next 25 years, he served as the director of the popular event, spending countless hours ensuring sports enthusiasts were treated to a first-class event.

During the sports festival’s early years, nearly 2,000 participants competed in up to 19 events. By the time Granson retired in 2008, the Haynes Apperson Sports Festival had grown to include more than 3,200 competitors from around the Midwest.

Under Granson’s watch, the Haynes Apperson Sports Festival included typical sports staples like basketball, softball and track. But he was not afraid to look outside the box and include such events as disc golf, volksmarching, United States Canoe Association sanctioned races and long-distance bicycle rides.

Granson, a 1964 Kokomo High School graduate who helped his football team to a 9-1 record his senior year, is also one of Howard County’s most respected businessmen. As the longtime owner of Engel Jewelers in downtown Kokomo, he has supported local athletics through sponsorships and other endeavors.