Barn Bash brings members together, raises funds
Anne Otieno, an international student at Berea College who is from Kenya, is interning with KFTC this summer. In June she attended the Wilderness Trace chapter's annual Barn Bash. The following is her personal reflection on the day.
Summer is all about spending time with our friends and families and also with coworkers and other members of our organizations. Each summer, KFTC organizes an annual Barn Bash event to bring together the members of Wilderness Trace chapter.
On Saturday, June 17, at least 50 members gathered in Junction City to reflect on the work that has been done with KFTC over the past year and what KFTC continues to do. In spite of the weather being humid, it was a nice afternoon to enjoy good, soothing music, delicious food and great company.
The Barn Bash creates a conducive environment for informal conversations with members on real issues within their chapter. This environment is a bit different than the environment present at meetings. Additionally, the Barn Bash provides a good platform for grassroots fundraising to support the work of KFTC.
This is the Wilderness Trace chapter's biggest annual event to celebrate great local work, invite new folks into KFTC, encourage members to renew their membership and raise funds. In addition to food, music and information about KFTC, folks bid on silent auction items donated by members and local allies. The event brought in some new members, new Sustaining Givers, and raised more than $1,000 for KFTC.
This was my first Barn Bash and I was expecting to have an amazing, fun day. The event was kicked off by the Danville Dulcimers music performance, with amazing native Kentucky songs. As they played their soft and soothing music, members got the chance to meet other folks and engage in conversations.
At the same time, chapter member Bruce Bryant worked hard grilling the locally made, grass-raised beef burgers and pork sausages. For many years, Bryant has volunteered to prepare locally made burgers for the Barn Bash. Soon, the food was ready to be served and folks enjoyed the meal while they continued conversations.
Shannon Scott shared her membership story with folks, explaining how she joined KFTC and why she thought that it was the right group to be involved in.
“I was born in West Virginia but I lived most of my life after college in Atlanta, Georgia and then I moved to Danville. Since I was new in the area, I wanted to find a platform in which I can get involved in the community. A number of friends told me about KFTC and I decided to attend a KFTC event. I was impressed with the work that KFTC does and the strong community of friends within the organization. KFTC has helped me with resources and helping me figure out what I can do such as lobbying, that I did for the first time with KFTC.”
