Octoberfest coming back this weekend

The Pine Haven Fire Auxiliary is celebrating their 20-year anniversary as an official nonprofit entity and their 19th annual Octoberfest fundraiser for the volunteer fire department is on Saturday, October 2, starting at 9 a.m. and will be held at the Pine Haven Fire Hall next to Town Hall at 24 Waters Drive.

Of the three original founders of the organization, John Betts has passed away, but wife Char and Pat Heinz are still active along with long-time associates LaDonna Rolfson and Vanna Waters.

This small group of volunteers works hard every year to bring this fun and important fundraiser to fruition, but this year, due to COVID-19, Waters has lost a loved one and has self-quarantined, as has Rolfson, according to Betts, who is, herself, homebound. This leaves Heinz to manage the ticket sales, silent auction, bake sale and lunch without her companions.

She is not worried, though.

“It will be fine, once we get to going, we’ll just do what needs to be done and pray for the best. We have had our share of near casualties and quick cover ups and [we] make do,” she says. “There are some good people who will pitch in. Most of us have some ‘peeps’ that live close enough to come over.”

Heinz remembers, “The year we got there and had no tables was interesting!” They managed that year, too.

Wanting to take a little of the weight off of Heinz’s shoulders, Betts will have tickets for the event to sell from her home. Call her at 756-3278 or 307-281-2954.