Sisters hosts first Fourth of July picnic

Supporters of the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity transformed Creekside City Park into an old-fashioned Fourth of July festival complete with apple pies, patriotic music, and games for all ages, marking Independence Day on Sunday with the Sisters Picnic in the Park.

Director Julia Rickards sang praises for all of the volunteers and contributors who made the event such a resounding success.

"The volunteers were reliable, responsible, and enthusiastic and really lived out the message of the importance of community," she said.

"The concept of doing a community Fourth of July event sprung from last year's Chair-a-Table event, which was also a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity," Rickards said. "We began thinking about the fact that Sisters hasn't done anything with Fourth of July for many years, so led us to brainstorming about how good it would be for us to simply come together as a community in a real down-to-earth way."

As the organizers starting planning, the idea of making the underlying theme of the event environmentally "green" surfaced.

"We decided to do a silent art auction with creations made from recycled materials by local artists, so we offered artists full access to items from the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store and ReStore to use," said Rickards. "It worked out perfectly."

The recycle theme also came through in the first "Recycle Run," which used recycled T-shirts to commemorate the race.

Sisters Habitat for Humanity is supported in part through sponsorships, often $1,000, which is out of reach for many individuals. The committee came up with the idea of forming a group dubbed "Us" which would be made up of community members who each agreed to contribute $10 to form a sponsor group. Over 150 local individuals responded to the challenge, making "Us" one of Habitat's largest sponsors this year.

Other contributing sponsors for the Picnic in the Park included Central Oregon Realtors Association (CORA), The Nugget Newspaper, and Sisters Athletic Club.

Game booths were scattered through the park, inviting contestants to spit watermelon seeds, blow gum bubbles, toss Frisbees and get temporary tattoos among other enticements. Dozens of pies at a dollar a slice tempted passers-by, and songs by local musicians floated through the air, creating a festive yet relaxed atmosphere.

"I knew that we had achieved our goal when I witnessed a pair of senior citizens, when handed free cotton candy, transform momentarily to their childhood right before my eyes," Rickards said.

Rickards estimated that the silent auction raised nearly $2,000 for Habitat. In all, including funds from the recycle run and donations from the community as part of "Us", the event raised a total of $5,000.

In reflecting on the event, Rickards felt that it turned out just as she and the rest of the committee envisioned.

"We wanted a simple, old-fashioned picnic that would be accessible to all ages, that would bring the community together, and I think we achieved that," she said. "The fundraising achieved is just icing on the

cake."