“We are really about keeping these memories alive,” said Old Gym board member, Chris Green. “A lot of people who still live here remember coming to this carnival as a child. They have fond recollections of the simple fun they had there. They want to bring their children to experience the same thing.”
The Old Gym is a non-profit organization with the goal of providing a gathering place for community activities and of preserving this historic building. But to pull that off in the current financial environment is quite an undertaking, Green said. Green explained that, this year, county grants have funded just enough to hire one part time employee for 16 hours per week to look over the facility. But all other maintenance and operating expenses must be met by raising funds in the community. To raise those funds, the Old Overton Gym offers Century Club membership to residents of the community for $100 per year. These members are then given a significant discount in scheduling their own events in the facility throughout the year. The carnival on Friday will also open the upcoming year’s membership drive. “People who become Century Club members or renew their memberships will get a free dinner at the carnival,” Green said. The carnival is the only fundraising event that the Old Gym puts on during the year. “We recognize that times are tough and that every group and organization out there is doing what we are doing,” Green said. “So we go with this old fashioned concept where a family can come and have fun for a very low cost. Quarters and dollars, here and there, can go a long way.” Green is interested in seeing the carnival event return to its former glory as a community-wide effort. “You listen to stories of people who were here back then and it was a really big deal,” she said. “It was the entire community that came out to help and to pull the thing off. And everyone had fun.” |