Po Boys Picnic — Fun while raising funds!
Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer, unless watermarked as having been taken by Mark Bickham.
Brooke Staley with her new best friend, Dustin Perkins
It was the 5th Po Boys Picnic, and each one has been a little more adventurous and financially successful than the last. That’s important — they are each fundraisers, and so far have been to help families struggling with a family member stricken with cancer. This year’s event was was 4-year-old Brooke Staley, a courageous young girl from Pottsboro, Texas, who is battling brain cancer. And Brooke got as deep into the fun and games of the day as she was capable of doing, while her family jumped in with both feet.
The Po Boys Picnic is the brainchild of Jason (Fuzzy) Smith, Tip Jones (both with Overdrive Entertainment), Dustin Perkins (musician extraordinaire), and J.R. Geller (all-around good ol’ boy). And there were a multitude of volunteers helping out Saturday, Nov. 16, with the Little Britches Rodeo, the Horseshoe Tournament, live music on the stage, the bounce houses (always a favorite), and even such things as helping at the door to sign people up for all the activities and sell raffle tickets. Bands galore gave their time and talent, and clowns helped with the rodeo. There was both a silent and live auction, scads of donations from all around several counties! Food provided by a couple of vendors, face–painting, crafts. And it was all for the love of mankind.!
And one of the favorite activities for the people of the younger ages was just plain ol’ playing. Some playing with lassos, some by pouring water in to the Loy Lake Park arena red dirt and making sand castles, and some by throwing the one ‘fetch’ bone for the anonymously-owned and well-behaved dog, who always retrieved it, then waited patiently for someone else to pick it up and throw it. And stick horses everywhere. One young girl in pink attire and cowboy boots rode hers stick horse for hours, always at full gallop.
Watch for the date of the next Po Boys Picnic to be announced, about six months away or possibly April or May 2014.
Here’s the link to all the photos
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In the music production business, including event production, booking, photography, reporting, and other such essentials, since 1980.Subscribe
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