Wilderness Trace hosts successful Barn Bash

Lots of good planning and plenty of hard work culminated into a highly successful and fun first-annual Barn Bash for the Wilderness Trace KFTC chapter. On Saturday, June 22, nearly 80 people, including members and new friends, gathered at Woodwind Farm in Junction City for an afternoon of good music, good food, and good company, all in an effort to raise money and raise awareness about KFTC’s work.

Lee Ann Paynter, one of the members who helped found the chapter, spoke to the crowd about why she joined KFTC and cares about our work. “When I was moving from California back to Kentucky, I decided I wanted to do something good for the state. After I got online and learned about KFTC, I joined and became a sustaining giver sight unseen because I felt what they were doing was that important.” She then encouraged everyone to be sure to join before they left. 

While everyone chowed down on burgers, hot dogs, and delicious sides, they were treated to great live bluegrass music from The Jarflies, who traveled from Lexington to be part of the event. The band’s good picking and smooth singing turned out to be the perfect backdrop for people to meet new friends and enjoy the beautiful day.

People also spent time perusing and bidding on items in the silent auction. Members solicited local businesses and artists and were able to gather more than thirty items for the auction, ranging from gift cards to play tickets to books to great artwork in various mediums, including a piece from glass artist Stephen Powell. Some people really got into the spirit of the auction and started friendly bidding wars. When the silent auction closed, people scurried to pay for and pick up their items. At its end, the silent auction brought in more than $1500 for KFTC and provided a fun way for people to contribute.

In the end, the Barn Bash proved to be a great success as it brought in 7 new KFTC members and raised more than $2200 in chapter fundraising. But beyond that, it created a fun space for people to come together and celebrate the work Wilderness Trace members are doing to build New Power.As the end-time drew near and people began to head out, you could hear many comments about how much people enjoyed the event and that they look forward to coming to it again next year.

To see more pictures from the event, check out this album on flickr.