Local kids, Ryan and Ian McMurray, participated in Lin’s Kids Club at the Pre-Fair Pigout on Saturday making pig noses and balloons.

By Whitney Donohue

Moapa Valley Progress

Lin’s Marketplace in Overton held its first-ever Pre-Fair Pigout on Saturday March 12.

The store’s parking lot was packed with people participating in a number of community events. Many were there to shop at Rotary’s offering in the Valley Wide Yard Sale. Lori Houston and friends were selling baked goods throughout the day to raise money for the community July 4th celebration. Many people enjoyed the savory smells of local Metro Police officers who spent much of the day cooking up pork sandwiches for the crowd. And local 4-H participants as well as Moapa Valley High School FFA students instructed people about raising animals and farming in the community.

Also providing information for the crowds was Elise McAlister, representing Partners in Conservation, and members of VFW Post 8336.

The Pre-Fair Pigout was organized by Lin’s to provide a forum for local groups to raise money for various local organizations. Proceeds from Metro’s sandwich booth were awarded to FFA and 4H. Among the officers cooking on Saturday were Nate Boss, Nate Bradford, and Corey Estes.

Local Metro Officer Nate Bradford serves up some pork to the crowd at Saturday’s Pre-Fair Pig-out at Lin’s Marketplace.

FFA students raised money from the MVHS student body by selling minutes that various school teachers and administrators would have to spend in a jail set up in front of the store. Participants included Mrs. Dalley, Mrs. Pendleton, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Hanevold. Mr. Hanevold raised the most money for the students, and was required to spend an hour behind bars on Saturday.

Lin’s Store Leader Darin Leach also participated in the jail. Leach was placed in jail on Friday evening, and Store Leaders raised money from employees to “release” him from jail. He raised $90 for the event.

Jeff Phillips, organizer of the event, was pleased with the community support. “We really wouldn’t have been able to pull this off in the amount of time we did without the community’s help,” he stated. “Everyone has been so helpful. We are so grateful that Rotary allowed us to “piggy-back” onto their event [Valley Wide Yard Sale].”