Community supports Mill fundraiser
Photo by Shari Harris
This quilt, donated by the RJO program at SCCC, was a favored item at the auction.
The community stepped up to support the historic Licking Mill in a big way at the Fifth Annual Licking Downtown Fish Fry and Auction. Over $5,000.00 was made during the event,which included meals sold, the auction, donations, a 50/50 raffle, and t-shirt and hoodie sales.
The generosity of everyone who participated—donors, bidders, diners, and volunteers—was greatly appreciated by the members of Licking Downtown, Inc.
Mr. Herman Hall performed for over two hours at the fish fry, then auctioneer Johnny ReVelle took the mic and the auction was underway. Cakes and quilts were prized items for bidders, as was a Harold Clark painting, which sold to a granddaughter who phoned in her bid from out-of-state. The Restorative Justice program (RJO) at South Central Correctional Center (SCCC) donated two large quilts for the auction, Carol Fox brought cake and fudge, Janey Hall donated a cake, and Reggia Ward brought a cake.
There were plenty of other items which had been donated for the auction as well, including gift certificates from many local businesses.
A phone issue was discovered after the event began, and unfortunately it was not able to be rectified. Sincere apologies are made to anyone who was counting on a fish dinner but did not receive an answer when they called.
Harold Sullins and his crew of FFA helpers were able to get the mill turning this summer for the first time in years. The next step is to see if they can get it milling again. While commercial milling at the historic mill isn’t a goal, Licking Downtown would like for people to see it mill corn into cornmeal at special events.
Weathering of the mill results in necessary repairs to boards and windows, and periodic paintings. Lawn mowing, electricity and insurance costs are regular expenses for the mill. While some of the funds will be used for regular expenses, it is anticipated that a portion of the funds collected at this event will be saved for later use toward big ticket items like paintings.
RJO also donated a replica of the mill, and a raffle was begun on this item at the event. The raffle drawing is planned for Rodeo Saturday. The mill replica can be seen at TJ’s Flowers and Gifts, and raffle tickets can be purchased there or at future events.
