VERO BEACH — Dressed in their best yeee-haw garb, folks moseyed on over to a big white tent set up on the grounds of Riverside Park for the seventh annual Habitat Cracker Hoedown, to benefit Indian River Habitat for Humanity. From the carpenter aprons and cowboy hats worn by Mel and Nancy Goodes to Connie Bishop’s bling embellished cowgirl outfit, everyone put their best boots forward for an evening of downhome fun.
Perennial event chair Dave Taylor has the job down to a science, having guided an enthusiastic crew of volunteers and staff for the past several years. His exceptional efforts earned him the National Philanthropy Day 2011 Unsung Hero Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
As guests arrived for the cocktail hour, former Rep. Ralph Poppel, Connie Poppell, Mayor Pilar Turner and Sheriff Deryl Loar were among the first to brave Bodacious, the bucking bull. They may not be ready for the Fellsmere Cracker Day Rodeo, but they all displayed fine fettle riding the daunting mechanical bull, provided by LaPorte Farms.
Others were perusing the silent auction items or were having their meddle tested by various games crafted by the committee, including the wine toss, “corny” tic-tac-toe, hillbilly golf and the newest, a shoot ‘em up gallery.
“Rick Hahn made this game where you shoot ping pong balls at targets,” said Samantha Baita, Habitat public relations coordinator. “We have the most creative, I-can-do-anything-type guys, around here. He also built all the big movable tools for our Christmas float. He’s just so talented.”
“It’s built from PVC pipe, pipe clamps, a two-by-four; it’s just junk from Home Depot,” explained Hahn of his authentic looking guns. “It’s really a giant sling shot.”
Signs and decorations throughout the tent reinforced the mission of the organization to build lives as well as homes.
“We probably volunteer on at least four homes every year; two in Fellsmere and two on Oslo,” said Sue Croom, of the local Women Build team she created with Jo Trippe a number of years ago.
Locally, Habitat for Humanity completed 276 new and refurbished homes over the past 20 years, serving 23 families in the first 10 years, and 253 in the second. Members have also worked on numerous homes overseas.
Many current and future Habitat homeowners assisted at the event, including Maria Areyan who was helping by passing hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour.
“They’re going to start putting it up soon,” said an excited Areyan, looking forward to working on her new home in Fellsmere.
Guests eventually filtered into the dining area, attractively decorated in down-home country chic with paint can centerpieces filled with rustic floral arrangements and colorful bandannas. After dining on a mouth-watering BBQ buffet with all the fixings catered by Elizabeth Kennedy, cowpokes rounded out the evening by dancing to the sounds of Dreamer on the stage.
