Fate of festival is in jeopardy

After six years of being president of Huckleberry, Inc. and chair of the Huckleberry Festival, I am stepping down. It has been a fantastic run and I am grateful for every minute of it. I have met some amazing people along the way and they have opened my eyes to all sorts of possibilities. At the time I entered into this nonprofit, I agreed to stay for one year to help out due to the passing of the previous chair, Liz Citrino. Needless to say, time marched on. The challenges, the accomplishments, the improvements, the smiles, the laughter, the people and the dedication of others made me want to continue for as long as I have.

But now, it’s time for new blood and new volunteers. Several other volunteers are stepping down as well, so this leaves quite a void. At this point, unless many of you decide to volunteer, the fate of the 41st Annual Huckleberry Festival is in jeopardy. We need to fill my positions, plus Treasurer, Festival Food Booth Chair, Entertainment Chair, Media/Publications Chair, Dessert/Jam/Jelly Chair, and most importantly, we need a webmaster that can create a new festival website while archiving all of its history.

It takes a village to plan the festival, so we need as many capable volunteers to fill these key vacant positions. We still have some of our dedicated volunteers who will continue with the vendors, talent contest, sound booth, etc. But each and everyone of us needs the help of someone else. I would be willing to walk the new Festival Chair through the process.

So, please plan to attend the Annual Huckleberry, Inc. and Huckleberry Festival planning meeting on December 12 at 6 p.m. at the Trout Creek Senior Citizen Center to sign up to volunteer. The fate of future festivals is in your hands.

In the words of Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” See you all there!

Debb McNary,

Trout Creek