Oakley Almond Festival offered chance to catch up with old friends

By Roni Gehlke

LAST WEEKEND Oakley celebrated the 20th Oakley Almond Festival. While some cities work to make their festivals the biggest in the area, Oakley has remained firm about bringing the people a hometown show that offers a place where kids can play while their parents enjoy the music, crafts and the opportunity to see old friends.

Just like previous years, my husband, son and I arrived at O'Hara Park Saturday morning ready to enjoy a few hours of catching up with old friends and soaking up the atmosphere. Immediately we lost our son in the maze of booths as he found some of his own friends to spend the morning with.

While there were out-of-town food and craft vendors, the nicest part for me was just spending time with old friends. Granted I have been active in the community for years, so it wasn't hard to find someone to talk to, but I wasn't the only one enjoying the morning with friends. Many times I heard yells from across the field to catch someone's attention or noticed as one neighbor slapped another on the back or give a hug to someone he hadn't seen in a while. That is what the Oakley Almond Festival has always been about.

During the day I stopped and chatted with several of the city council members as they walked along the booths or sat at the city booth. Council member Jim Frazier even took his turn in the dunk tank to help raise money for 4-year-old Aaron Tanner, who is in need of a heart and kidney transplant.

Three of those council members also took their turn sitting in the Friends of Oakley booth. The group is working on helping those in need in Oakley. They were sporting a sign for their latest fundraiser to help raise money for their holiday food drive. The Wine, Cheese & Children's Art Show will take place Oct. 10 at the Hanoum Estates in Oakley. For more information check out their Web site at friendsofoakley.webs.com.

Every town has its nonprofit groups such as the Friends of Oakley that work to help those in need. In Oakley we also have some really great residents who go out of their way when one of their own is in need. One of the booths at the festival was dedicated to supporting Oakley teenager Ally Jenkins. Ally is a Freedom High School student who received a lung transplant this summer. Friends of the family and many Oakley nonprofits are supporting the family by offering fundraisers. At the festival visitors could purchase a T-shirt in Ally's honor.
The shirts were designed by family friend Susie Gullbranson and are for sale for $15 each. T-shirts can still be purchased by calling Gullbranson at 584-2507.

A golf tournament is also set at Roddy Ranch on Oct. 4. All the proceeds for the tournament will go to Ally and her family to help pay for the many medical expenses that insurance is not paying for. The tournament includes a 7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. The $125 entry fee includes green fees, cart, range balls, meals and "goody bags." For more information on the event, contact Michelle Hendricks at 584-1441 or Bill Grady at 813-0841.

There is also a 5K-fitness walk/run scheduled to support Ally and her family. They are calling it the "Rally for Ally Round Oakley." The event is set for Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. The course that has been set up for the walk is just over three miles or what is referred to as 5K. All those registered for the event will receive a specially designed T-shirt. Supporters of the event say that the goal is for each participant to get sponsors for the 5K to support Ally. Entry fees are $20 by Oct. 10 or $22 afterward. Those 19 and under will get a $5 discount. For more information, see www.rallyforally.com.

For the first 15 years of the festival I was an active participant. I was the chair of the event for seven of those years and then helped on the committee for the rest of that time. So take it from me, it is an incredibly time-consuming weekend to organize. It is not necessary to be a member of the Oakley Chamber, which sponsors the event, to help. There are never enough people and everyone gets burned out after awhile. If you would like to see this festival continue, think about getting involved. Even a small contribution of your time can help.