With the help of an area organization, the face of Campustown will soon have a new, more diverse feel.

In an effort to combat the stereotype of Campustown as merely a haven for bars and fast-food restaurants, members of the Campustown Action Association are working to promote the diverse atmosphere that exists on Welch Avenue and its surrounding streets.

“We have a wide variety of people who operate businesses in Ames, from Chinese and Thai food to the more traditional American franchises like Subway and McDonald’s,” says John Crawford, president of the Campustown Action Association.

The group is currently in the process of designing flags that will fly along Welch Avenue, Lincoln Way and several other Campustown streets, Crawford says.

“A lot of people think that Campustown is just Welch [Avenue] and Chamberlain [Street], but it’s a lot more than that,” says Crawford, who is also general manager of CopyWorks, 105 Welch Ave. “Really, it extends from Hilton Coliseum to as far west as Franklin [Avenue].”

With an estimated cost of about $100 per flag, the committee is working to raise funds for the project. To meet their goal, committee members are asking for donations from local businesses.

“If you drive down Elwood [Drive], you see all the flags advertising upcoming events for the university,” Crawford says. “That’s exactly what we’re hoping to do with our flags — to promote what’s going on in Campustown.”

Since its formation more than 25 years ago, the Campustown Action Association has been active in promoting the heavily student populated Campustown area to Ames residents who may not be associated with Iowa State.

Last July, the organization sponsored “An Evening in Campustown,” a one-night event that promoted what Campustown has to offer for families as well as students.

“We wanted to promote the event when students weren’t in town,” Crawford says of the summer celebration. “Sometimes we just need to remind our customers who live in Ames year-round that we’re still down here.”

“An Evening in Campustown” drew a crowd of about 1,500 people, a number that Crawford says shows promise in the community’s support of the group’s purpose.

“The support we’ve had has been very encouraging,” Crawford says.