No Place I'd Rather Be!

A younger Carley Rush in the hands of a face painting artist!

This will be my twenty-third consecutive year of volunteering at Penn View’s Country Fair and Auction.  I was first introduced to this awesome event when my son Isaac was a first-grader which feels like way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. For almost the first decade (and before I was the school nurse) I worked several shifts each year as a Penn View parent. Those were the days when each parent agreed to cover several different shifts on top of toiling long hours in our home kitchens in preparation for the event.  Nothing like the streamlined signups for short shifts today! The week before the event we were baking cakes and laboring over stove-tops as we cooked the traditional chicken corn soup recipe from scratch and delivered it with great ceremony to the waiting refrigerated truck.  

I distinctly recall one specific year, way back when we were still putting tent-stake holes in the parking lot at Christopher Dock. I was working in a food stand on a particularly hot May day just one hour after sitting in the dentist’s chair for a root canal. Half of my mouth was post-anesthetically sagging as I attempted to speak charmingly to those waiting for a funnel cake.  In retrospect, I probably looked a fright and sincerely hope I wasn't drooling. There is no stopping the auction volunteers!  There was no question that every single parent was going to be an integral part of the event. I realize I am sounding like one of those people who talks about walking twenty miles each way to school IN THE SNOW so I will stop now....

Jayne Longacre and Kathi Welby washing berries for those delectable strawberry pies!

I’ve joked that I have volunteered in every area of the Auction except for car-parking and the dunk tank.  This is by design. 

Jay Gordon and his trusty florescent parking flag.

I’m too much of a pushover to tell people where to park and way too much of a wimp to be submerged in a chilly tank of water at the hand of a mischievous coworker or a legitimately well-thrown ball. The braver of our Middle School students join the volunteers in signing up for a shift atop that risky wet perch.  

Though it has been years since my entire upper half was sticky from balancing perfect balls of chocolate ice cream and freshly cut berries on still-warm waffles, I'd do it all again just to work with some of the great personalities under that dining tent.  

Not that anyone is hiring for it, but I could put touting fabulously delicious sausage sandwiches on my resume as well. 

I've sold burgers and assisted with beverages. I've cut berries until my fingers were red for days, bagged candies, and sold French fries.  

In recent years I've been a first-shift Friday assembler of the coveted strawberry pies. I accomplish this under the watchful eye of booth-coordinating friends (and excellent arm-twisters), Todd and Donna Alderfer. With at least 1,200 strawberry pies sold each year, I suspect I will keep making them for a very long time. 

Many moons ago I helped to bag and sell Penn View's deadly-delicious doughnuts.  (Yes, I’ve been a PVCS devotee enough to remember the doughnut days….) 

This photo was before my time but the doughnuts were not! (You can probably still see them on my hips). 

I have experience scooping potato salad onto chicken barbecue plates, and doing a complete 180 degree turn, spent two years at Auction time creatively painting the tiny fingernails of attendees. No worries.  I was not serving potato salad while I painted.  

I've crawled out of bed way too early to re-set tables for the well-loved Saturday morning breakfast. Once.  I'll leave that one to you morning people.

I feel as though I've worked at the bake sale. This is not because I have, but because in all these years of auction fun, I have certainly eaten my weight in purchased whoopee pies, rice-krispie treats, ground cherry pies and hard tack.  It’s like I’m an honorary bake sale worker because I’m such a good customer. The same might be said for my purchases at the Quilt Auction and General Auction over many years. 

Along with pie assembly, I've more recently been privileged to serve as a cashier in the food tent.  This is a really awesome job because not only do I get to interact with other parents and friends who love the school, I get to chat with all the community people who turn out for Friday night’s wonderful evening of socializing and enjoying good food.   I’m planning to come back for a third shift on Saturday this year, so look for me there. If you're nice to me, I'll give you the correct change! 

Some handsome Addley boys making those aprons look good. 

My kids have long left the hallowed halls of Penn View, but I will never miss the opportunity to spend time helping at Souderton’s most fun-filled and delicious community happening.  My husband feels the same way and can be found every Country Auction Friday night wearing a rather delightful red and white checkered auction apron while he whips industrial sized bowls of whipped cream for the strawberry pies.

Family Pie Assembly

Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of this important fundraiser for Penn View.  It’s not just for parents! Employees, grandparents, and all friends of Penn View are welcome to join in the fun; even if only for a couple of hours.  

The link is here if you’d like to be part of the team: 
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a48abac29a4ff2-country

Getting ready for the CANDY DROP!

Our students love this event and we notice that they keep coming back. First we see them with groups of their High School friends, reconnecting with each other and with some of their teachers from days gone by.  Eventually they return for that bit of nostalgia with spouses and strollers in tow.

The Country Fair and Auction is a community-building, memory-making, and frankly-incomparable annual event for PVCS.  The vital monies raised at this auction go directly into the Penn View Fund which helps keep our amazing school operational. 

As evidenced by my exhaustive list of volunteer jobs, (thanks for reading to the end!) there is something for everyone! 

Once you've ridden the speedy and reliable shuttle bus to the campus to spend some time working at this shared task, you’ll be so glad you made it a priority.  

See you on May 15th and 16th!