By Kerry Rahm
krahm@wbcowqel.com
How could a beautiful, sunny Friday get any better? Add in a lively community block party, such as the 6th annual South of the Square Block Rally, and the weekend is off to a good start.
Thirty-nine area businesses participated in this year’s event, which was a celebration with an ulterior motive – to support a non-profit organization by bringing out the community and the donation box.
Family Video was physically at the center of the rally, with many tents set up in its spacious parking lot. Local businesses in the vicinity took to the sidewalks to hand out freebies, goodies, and giveaways. People came out for lunch and for recreation, and brought their children, who were welcome to draw freely on the sidewalks with chalk or to meet Tigger or a Minion in person.
Norton’s Flowers handed out roses, while several businesses gave away T-shirts, popcorn, candy and the like. Bratwursts and hot dogs were on the grill, and chips, cookies and a drink rounded out the fare.
Mayor Jeff Reser, who was on hand for the festivities, enjoyed a bratwurst, and enthused about the gathering crowd. He commented on how the rally brings out the townsfolk.
“Well, it’s just a lot of fun. We have such long winters, it seems like, and then when the weather breaks, it explodes and this town is ready to have some fun. This is just another one of the many examples of volunteers doing some good things for a cause, and at the same time we get to see all our neighbors and have some good food.”
Jill Logsdon, of Mizick Miller, and one of the business volunteers who help plan the rally, explained a little bit about what goes into throwing the community gathering, typically held the last Friday of June.
“The area businesses that participate meet and decide what non-profit organization we want the money to go to. Once we do that, we pick a date, we do the same menu every year for a donation to the non-profit organization. Then it’s just advertising, just getting the word out. The businesses get flyers, and we share it all over the community, and then we just come out and have a good time.”
Logsdon said the first year of the rally, Mizick Miller held a small cookout, and now it has expanded to the area just south of Washington Square, spilling out onto establishment sidewalks and side streets. Logsdon thanked Family Video for use of their parking lot.
All the participating businesses contribute “seed money” for supplies and food, and the left over money plus what the community donates goes toward one non-profit organization hand-picked by the businesses.
They decided that the recipient of this year’s donations would be The Humane Society Serving Crawford County.
Rally attendee Kathy Dyer brought her little ones out, saying she was there mainly to “Support the Humane Society. They’re [the kids] having a ball… It’s a beautiful day, they’re really having a nice time.”
Victoria Carmean, executive director of The Humane Society, spoke about what it meant to have the organization chosen this year.
“It means that the community is supporting us, graciously, once again, and has been so good to us over the years,” Carmean said. “It will help us help the dogs that come in to us from the communities, from the county, and it just gives us the ability to help with more Spay/Neuter coupons, keeps us in cat and dog food, and cat litter, and it will make sure that we can continue to do what we do.”
“We can’t thank people enough for what they do,” Carmean added.