It's April, and the sun is coming back and the desert parsley is blooming in the hills all around the area.
April also means it's time for two highlight community events (we won't count the NFL Draft ...) that will soon be upon us.
First is the annual "Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction," sponsored by the Whitson PTO. This wonderful event will be held on Friday, April 24, at the Whitson Elementary School gym from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
The auction is a fundraiser for the elementary school, so it's a very good cause. It is also a lot of fun, and offers citizens the chance to get a variety of goods and services at relatively low prices. Kids can buy ice cream and have their face painted while their parents bid on a variety of unique items up for auction, and all the money goes to help make Whitson a stronger and better school for local youngsters.
The elementary school kids get into the act in a big way by creating the fine gift baskets that are auctioned on this evening. These baskets usually have a theme, such as gardening or items to care for a baby, for example.
The other big happening comes during the same weekend. It's the annual Community Pride Cleanup, sponsored by Bingen-White Salmon Rotary and the Mount Adams Chamber of Commerce, with support from a huge list of local businesses and volunteers.
This great event -- now, amazingly, in its 14th year -- will take place on the weekend of April 24-26. The focus of the activity is somewhat self-explanatory: The community gets together and cleans up the community.
For a donation ($3 is suggested) almost anything can be dropped off at no charge during this weekend -- used appliances, scrap metal, plastics, paper, glass, clothing, tires (there is a small fee to dispose of tires), construction materials, you name it. Virtually everything except household garbage is taken, and most of it will be recycled.
For those who can't haul stuff on their own, people can simply call 493-3630 and arrange for items to be taken away by volunteers over the weekend.
Approximately 100 volunteers organize and execute this cleanup every year, and, like the Silent Auction, it's not only a very worthy cause, it's also a good, spirited time of beneficial teamwork for all involved.
Welcome to April! It's one of our favorite months around here, because of the weather and the flowers, but also because of the amazing efforts of the organizers of this pair of phenomenal "neighborhood" events.
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