The allure of small town life will be on full display this weekend.
Beginning Friday, the annual Relay for Life cancer walk will fill the Iola square from dusk to dawn. Tables and tents will no sooner be taken down Saturday morning only to be replaced by local charitable organizations and non-profits participating in the first-time Day of Giving.
Right off the square on South Broadway, the old Iola Theatre will have an open house Saturday and Sunday to not only show off recent renovations, but also attract donations and volunteers to take the project to completion. Iolan Jim Smith has taken on much of restoring the theater to its glory of the 1930s when the art deco style was all the rage.
Then out on the Southwind Rail Trail, the Iola to Humboldt leg is celebrating its one year anniversary with activities beginning at 10 a.m. at both Riverside Park in Iola and at the trailhead in Humboldt to the east of B&W Trailer Hitches.
Riders and walkers will be encouraged to converge at the Rotary shelter approximately midway where food and drinks will be served.
CITY FOLK complain about the lack of community.
They don’t know their neighbors. They don’t feel a part of something bigger that gives meaning to their lives. They’d like to participate in a purposeful, not to mention fun, activity. Simply said, they would like to feel they fit in.
The weekend’s fare fits all the above.
Relay for Life brings together a community of cancer survivors and those affected by the dreaded disease. It’s a surprisingly uplifting affair that involves teams of walkers who stay up through the night on the downtown square. Some make it a goal to walk the night away; others are content to stay put in lawn chairs.
Entertainment keeps the mood festive as well as the natural camaraderie that develops from participating in a common cause.
Same goes for the celebration of the first anniversary of the Southwind Rail Trail, the banked 6.5 miles of the former Santa Fe railway. The trail connects to the Prairie Spirit Trail that continues another 51 miles up to Ottawa, bringing cyclists, runners and walkers from near and afar.
Free access to the trail has helped make it a popular site for local exercise enthusiasts.
The Day of Giving is new to Iola this year, spearheaded by the Allen County Community Foundation.
The purpose is to raise awareness to the many charitable and nonprofit organizations in our community and, hopefully, spur donations. The top four fundraisers from the drive will receive $250 stipends from the community foundation in recognition of their good works.
