ELSMORE Elsmore Ruritan Club, a community service organization serving the Elsmore/Savonburg area, will sponsor the 49th annual Elsmore Rural-Town Days Saturday and Sunday.
The bulk of the activities run Saturday in downtown Elsmore, with a golf tournament Sunday at Cedarbrook Golf Course in Iola.
Saturdays activities begin in the Elsmore Community Building with arts and crafts booths and personnel from the Iola office of Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department offering flu shots from 8 to 11 a.m. A selection of used books is available in the southeast corner of the building, which are free to take or trade.
Across the street in the fire barn will be bake sale items and concessions. Baked items will include cakes, pies, cookies and cornbread. Concessions will include hot dogs, polish sausages, nachos, chili pies, iced tea, canned pop and homemade ice cream. John Barker with Uncle Johns Backyard Entertainment will entertain folks with musical selections and emcee the days events.
The Main Street parade, with a theme of Passing on to the next generation begins at 11. Parade grand marshals are Elsmore Ruritan Club youth members: Magie Stevenson, Todd Stevenson, Daniel Fewins, Kenleigh Westhoff and Marlee Westhoff.
At noon a barbecued pork dinner will be served in the community building. Prices are: adults $7, children 5-12 $5 and children 4 and under $3.
Childrens games, including turtle races, bike races, egg toss, ball throw and water balloon toss begin at 12:30 p.m. A Cornhole Tournament will also be held. At 2, a baby contest will be open to children 1 year and younger. Bingo games follow at 3, and at 4 a free bean feed will be served to the public. Participants must bring their own kettle or table service.
Merchant prize drawings will be held during the bean feed. Entry into the merchant drawing is free but winners must be present to collect prizes. The final drawing will be for $100, $50, $25, and a handmade quilt. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5 and winners need not be present.
Festival-goers are encouraged to stay and enjoy country music from 7 to 10 p.m. courtesy of Country Rebels. There is no charge to attend but a freewill donation will be accepted.
The scene shifts to Cedarbrook on Sunday morning for the Elsmore Ruritan Annual Golf Tournament. The four-person scramble begins at 9 a.m. Entry fee is $30 per person and the fee does not include a cart. A meal is available for golfers to purchase. To register for the tournament, call Loraine Price at 754-3487 or Cedarbrook Golf Course.
Elsmore Day and the golf tournament serve as Elsmore Ruritan Clubs biggest fundraiser. Proceeds go toward a number of projects including donations to Marmaton Valley High School activities, area church youth activities, college scholarships, Christmas gift bags to area senior citizens and school children, sponsoring Allen County Fair trophies, helping with cleanup around the Bourbon State Lake and hosting a dog and cat vaccination clinic.
The 48 Ruritan members helped in developing the citys playground and in renovating the community building to house the fitness center.
The club adopts several area families around Thanksgiving and gives them a box of food. Club members also help the Humboldt Ministerial Alliance in a monthly distribution of food to area families and keep a food pantry to supplement the distributions when necessary. Items are also collected to replenish the Blessings Box near the community building. A collection box for non-perishable food items will be next to the concession stand for persons wishing to donate non-perishable food items or small household items such as dish or hand soap, toothpaste, bandaids, sanitizer, etc.
