ELSMORE — Downtown Elsmore will be the setting for Saturday’s 41st annual Elsmore Rural-Town Day sponsored by Elsmore Ruritan Club.
Events begin at 8 a.m. and will include a dunk tank, Marmaton Valley High School FFA petting zoo, arts and crafts booths in the community building, concessions — including homemade ice cream — and bake sale items at the fire station.
“Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Building a Healthy Community” is the theme of the parade which starts at 11 o’clock. Grand marshals are Junior and Joan LaRue who are lifelong residents of the area. He has been an Elsmore Ruritan member for 13 years and has held various club offices. She has been a club member for four years and is the current club president.
A barbecued pork dinner will be served at noon in the community building. The price of the meal is $6 for adults, $4 for children 5 to 12, and $2 for children 4 and under.
Kids games will begin at 2 p.m. and a baby contest for children 1 year and under will be at 3 p.m. Bingo begins at 4 p.m. in the community building.
A free bean feed will begin around 5 p.m. People should bring table service or a kettle. Cornbread will be available for sale in the concession stand.
Free merchant drawings will be held after Bingo. Winners must be present to claim prizes.
After the merchant drawings are completed winners of the cash prizes — $100, $50 and $25 — will be drawn. Winners of the cash drawing need not be present to win.
This year, in conjunction with the National Ruritan Foundation’s food drive and the day’s theme of helping one’s neighbors, the Elsmore club is asking for donations of non-perishable food items which will be delivered to local food pantries. Persons donating food will have their names entered in a drawing for a savings bond. Cash donations will be accepted.
On Sunday, the Elsmore club will sponsor its annual golf tournament at Prairie Ridge Golf Course, 15900 Highway 59 in Erie. The four-person scramble will tee off at 10 a.m. Entry fee is $40 per person. Meal and cart are included. For more information or to register call Prairie Ridge at (620) 244-3454, Loraine Price at (620) 754-3487 or Jim Lewis at (620) 754-3956.
The 26 members of Elsmore Ruritan Club sponsor Elsmore Day yearly as a service to the citizens of the area. Elsmore Day is the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds are used for club projects which include donations to Marmaton Valley High School clubs, awarding college scholarships, Christmas gift bags to senior citizens and school children, sponsoring Allen County Fair trophies, helping clean up at the Allen-Bourbon County Lake, aiding the city of Elsmore in its playground project, helping the elderly with household chores and transportation, helping with Vacation Bible School, sponsoring a dog and cat vaccination clinic, serving homemade ice cream to the residents of Moran Manor and sponsoring an Independence Day celebration for the community including a fireworks display.
Elsmore Day fun in store
