| AUGUST 22, 2010 -- "This is not a fundraiser for us, it's a community event, and our focus is on having a safe and fun place for families, and most especially for children." That is how Jody Cameron, president of the Ekonk Community Grange Fair, described the August 14 event held almost exactly on the line between Sterling and Voluntown.
The fair ended with a roast pork dinner - complete with yellow squash donated from Grange members Janet and Betsy - topped off with the largest bowl of peach shortcake outside of Texas. And as Grange member Jamie said, "The whipped cream is REAL!"
Jamie, at 14 years of age, was one of the members present from sun-up to sundown. She helped with the Moon Bounce, cheered the bikers on for the Bike Slalom, congratulated her friend Victoria, who won the hula hoop contest, and then served food at the dinner.
Outside of the Grange Hall, giggles and laughter filled the air, while in the Grange kitchen, the sound of quiet conversation poured out into the hall.
Early on, boiling water was poured over the peaches for peeling, to cover the short cake. Several large bowls of summer squash lined another counter top. Robin said, as she continued to peel peaches, " It is really a peachy day!"
In the Hall were the fair entries and ribbons. From arts and crafts to canning and baking, the long tables proudly displayed the handiwork of friends and neighbors, who ranged in age from pre-kindergarten to adult.
Lillian won the grand prize in the pre-kindergarten class for her painting of a tree on a piece of slate. When asked how she painted the tree, she replied, " Well first I drew around my hand for the limbs, then I just added everything else."
Along with the seasonal dinners, the Ekonk Community Grange maintains a close working relationship with the Future Farmers of America at Killingly High School, and uses the University of Connecticut Extension Office in Brooklyn for agricultural resources.
According to Cameron, the scholarships offered by the Ekonk Community Grange are available to any Grange member and any student of the schools that serve Sterling and Voluntown students.
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