XENIA — Greene County Council on Aging (GCCOA) held its Homemade Treats and Jam Fest Aug. 16 at the Xenia Community Center.
It was a sweet evening offering jams of all kind — strawberry, blueberry, mixed berry and orange marmalade. Treats sold during the live auction included pies, cakes, candies and baskets of breads and jam.
An oldies band from Yellow Springs, The Hoppers, performed live music, and the Cloud Racing Tournament — a race in which individuals blow through a straw to move a cotton ball down a pipe — took place later in the evening.
Seven senior centers from around the county each sponsored a game and the Country Store sold homemade soaps and treats.
According to Tim Brickey, senior center liaison for GCCOA, the council organizes the event but the seniors really put it on, making all of the homemade goods and sponsoring the games.
The live auction, he said, is always the highlight of the night.
“They know the importance of what this is about,” he said. “Bidding can go sky-high for an apple pie — that’s the fun of it.”
The festival originated in a barn, then moved to the fairgrounds, and this year moved to the Community Center. This is its thirteenth year.
Fifteen minutes into the event, the room was already packed. Karen Puterbaugh, executive director of the council, said the fundraiser is successful every year because the seniors make it happen and the community responds.
“It fits who we are,” Puterbaugh said. “It’s about old fashioned games, music, good food and fun. It’s not like I made all the items — people in the community did.”
The festival was just one of GCCOA’s fundraisers held throughout the year, with all proceeds used for senior and caregiver services and programs.
