Country Fair raises funds for camp scholarships

Smells of cinnamon rolls, ice cream and pie draw over a thousand people to the Meadow Ranch lawn for the annual Country Fair fundraiser at Hume Lake Christian Camps, Sept. 1-2.  Booths and food stands fill the lawn as guests purchase items in support of Hume Lake’s mission to reach young people for Christ.

Festivities commenced at 7:30 a.m. with morning with prayer and the Nation Anthem, Sept. 1. Hume offers fire truck rides, a high ropes course, a rock wall and a bounce house, among other activies. People perused booths with antiques, clothes, games and books donated by families interested in supporting Hume’s mission.

Julia Rooke, ‘20, comes to the Country Fair every year from Bakersfield with her family. Looking forward to the long weekend, Rooke anticipated an exciting three days engaging in the fair’s festivities.

“My family and I have come to the Country Fair for the past 7 years,” Rooke said. “We own a cabin up here so we make it a family tradition to come up. My favorite part of the fair is the live auction. Last year we got a one-year supply of free milkshakes and another year we bought a quilt. My favorite food is probably the cinnamon rolls which we get every year. My family comes up to Hume at least once a month and we love all the activities available up here.”

The weekend’s entertainment continued on Sunday morning with a church service and worship by Brent Lamb. Teaching from Biola Professor PJ Jones concluded the gathering. The service promoted Hume Lake’s purpose with videos and an offering toward camp scholarships.

Living at Hume Lake for six years, Mikayla Erickson, ’20, has been involved with the Country Fair for as long as she can remember. She enjoys setting up and volunteering during the live auction and other festivities.

“For the past three or four years my parents have been involved with the auction, so I’ve gotten a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on,” Erickson said. “I love eating the food and seeing people come together to raise money for the mission. I think it’s awesome to see at the auction how high something will go for even something as small a box of candy. People donate not because they’ll get something out of it, but because they want to support the ministry.”

Auctioneer Mike Gibson has served at the live auction for the past five years. He supports Hume by volunteering his time and abilities to aid the camp financially.

“Our goal is to sell the items for as much as we can and raise funds for the camp,” Gibson said. “The fair is their biggest fundraiser all year for kids who can’t afford to come to camp. The funds from the Country Fair go to benefit all areas of Hume’s impact for young people.”

Stephen Curtis Chapman arrived at Hume at the end of the weekend for a concert featuring some of his hit songs.

California friends!! I am coming to Hume Lake on Sunday, September 2nd for this years Country Fair! Tickets are available here: https://t.co/ysYZwkY6ea https://t.co/2TloTZYPRj

— Steven Curtis Chapman (@StevenCurtis) July 25, 2018

The live auction alone raised a total of $179,000 for Hume Lake’s international ministry. They use the funds to make improvements to the camp and expand the movement into other areas like Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, Hawaii, New England and Cuba.

Natalie Arndt, ‘21, has served as a runner at the auction for the past five years. Vacationing at Hume since childhood, Arndt appreciates helping out a place that holds so many memories.

“My favorite part of Country Fair is helping my parents with the auction and meeting new people,” Arndt said. “I always try to get a cinnamon roll because you can only get them once a year and they are my favorite. Hume is so close to my heart and I’m glad they have the fair to raise money for this place.”

The weekend closed Sunday evening with a concert from Christian music’s most awarded artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. Chapman chose songs that relayed his life story through song like Glorious Unfolding, Dive and Fingerprints of God.

For more information on the Country Fair, check out previous articles. To help support Hume Lake’s ministry, visit their website.

For more articles, read Join the Discussion: 2018 Summer Highlights or Editorial: Advantages of cell phone use in classrooms.

Addison Schultz can be reached via email and via Twitter @SchultzAddison.