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NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, July 15, 2020 A7 Volunteers sought for Prairie City Fiber Fest July 25-26 By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle Eagle file photo Grant Union boy’s basketball head coach RC Huerta during a home game in April. Community members are planning to raise money for Huerta, who was injured in an ATV crash in May, and his family online in a Facebook auction through July 18. Fundraiser planned for Huerta, basketball coach injured in ATV crash By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County plans to virtually rally around Grant Union boy’s basketball head coach RC Huerta in a Face- book auction through July 18. Huerta, who is recover- ing from an ATV accident in May, faces a financial bur- den, co-organizer and family friend Erin Gosnell said. Averie Wenger, an orga- nizer and friend, said she checked in with Huerta’s wife and their four kids after the accident and told her she was there for her and pray- ing for them. But then she decided she wanted to do more. “We just felt like we needed to do something more than just pray for her, and that’s why we decided to do the auction,” Wenger said. Wenger said she’s had health problems in the past and has been airlifted to another hospital — like Huerta, who had to be flown from John Day to Bend twice — and said she knows the financial hardship. It has been especially dif- ficult for the family, Gos- nell said, since Huerta’s wife, Jessie, a hairstylist, has been mostly out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We knew we had to do something,” Wenger said. Gosnell, who coordi- nated fundraisers when she worked in hospice care, said businesses jumped at the chance to donate items to the auction. She said compa- nies are typically more selec- tive and want information about the fundraiser before committing. “It was really easy,” she said. “All I had to say was RC Huerta, and they said, ‘Oh, yes, what do I need to do.’” She said people have donated from outside of the area as well. Gosnell, along with her husband, Jesse, assis- tant boy’s basketball coach and pastor of First Baptist Church in John Day, moved to Grant County three years ago. They have grown close to the Huertas, who moved to the area from Redmond about two years ago. She said the Huertas have become a second family for them. Gosnell said it’s impres- sive how much of an impact the Huertas have made on the community in a short time. “You have to live in a small community before you get the backing of a small community,” she said. “It usually takes you a long time to get their support, but not them.” People have accepted the Huerta family as their own, she said. Wenger said those inter- ested in bidding on items throughout the week can request to join the Facebook group “Huerta Family online auction.” A by-donation drive- through lunch will be held at the First Baptist Church in John Day from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. Gosnell said direct dona- tions can be made to the fam- ily at paypal.me/jessiehuerta. Public health is a big part of the planning for the sec- ond annual Prairie City Fiber Fest. Ginger Shive, the festi- val director, said organiz- ers have been collaborating with state, county and Prairie City officials to be compliant with the governor’s executive orders regarding the COVID- 19 pandemic for the event that features woolen wears. Demonstrations on cleaning wool, spinning and creating useful and decorative items such as rugs, slipper, blankets and socks, are planned. Shive said they purchased 350 masks to hand out to the general public and vendors that might have forgotten to bring their own. They have gallons of hand sanitizer. Vol- unteer positions were added to monitor the traffic of peo- ple at the three stations. “The reason we can do this is because we’re spread into three small locations,” Shive said. Other fiber shows in Ore- gon were in big convention centers, which hampered their ability to have an event this year, but being spread out into three separate locations in Prairie City made this festi- val possible. Shive is expect- ing more people to come to Prairie City this year. Fiber Fest is divided into the Prairie Baptist Teen Cen- ter, the Community Center and the park across from city hall. “We have got volunteers that will sit outside at those entrances with a box of mask and sanitizer and asking peo- ple to use the sanitizer,” Shive said. “They will also limit the number of people that go into the two buildings.” The park will be com- pletely fenced with a north and south entrance, limited to 100 people. There will be vol- unteers at both ends to moni- tor the amount of traffic going in and out. “This is the way we’re trying to learn to live with COVID safely, and it’s a lot of work, but it’s safety first, and economically, we need the fiber fest,” Shive said. “We’re doing it safe. Regard- less of what we’re trying to do with the kids, we’re doing it safe.” The need for volunteers has also gone up with the pan- demic requirements. Eagle file photo Teresa Southworth demonstrates how she ‘skirts’ the wool before she bags it for sale at last year’s Fiber Fest in Prairie City. Skirting, which removes any vegetable matter from the wool, is done on the mesh skirting table. Eagle file photo Eagle file photo Gary White of Socks of Fun in Oregon City owns an antique sock machine. The machine, made in Pennsylvania about 100 years ago, was used to make socks for soldiers during World War I and World War II. Roseanne Anderson of Cheney, Washington, held a workshop at the Fiber Fest called ‘Fabu- lous Locker Hooking and Exquisite Weavlings.’ Here she spins wool at the Prairie City Park on Saturday. “There’s so much to do during this COVID time that every volunteer is a precious commodity,” Shive said. Shive said the plan is to give volunteers a gift and a social event with vendors and instructors from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 25. All proceeds from this year’s event and future events will go toward Grant County 4-H and FFA programs. Shive is looking for additional help from these organizations. “I know because of COVID, 4-H and FFA are handled through the Exten- sion service of Oregon State University, and they say kids can’t participate ... and I understand that, but that does not preclude a parent or an adult to volunteer,” she said. Volunteers are needed to monitor traffic at the ven- ues, provide masks, hand out materials, answer questions and set up and take down tables and chairs. The Fiber Fest will be a two-day festival on July 25-26. A variety of work- shops begin July 24 that will focus on traditional rug hook- ing, hand felted slippers, locker hooking, pine needle basketry and more. The registration cost var- ies per workshop, but people will have the chance to sign up for a class until the day the workshop is held. Peo- ple interested in registering for a workshop or looking to volunteer can visit prai- riecityfiberfest.com for more information. Grab Your Mask and Join Us! Prairie City FIBER FEST Visit Vendors featuring rugs, fleeces, yarns, socks and more! July 25 & 26, 2020 Prairie City, Eastern Oregon Join us for a Fiber Workshop! Register online. Fri 7/24 Traditional Rug Hooking ....................................$70 Exquisite Weavlings/Pin Loom Weaving .........$100 Pine Needle Baskets ...........................................$100 Sat 7/25 Fabulous Locker Hook Rugs .............................$105 Felted Slippers .................................................... $110 Sun 7/26 Intro to Needle Felting/Best Friends Sheep ..... $40 for up-to-date information visit: www.PrairieCityFiberFest.com S197874-1002 S195887-1
