It was a busy weekend in July 2024 at Gladstone Park as families began to arrive for the first Lift Jesus Higher event.
Parents and grandparents found shady spots for their blankets and camp chairs, watched as kids made enormous bubbles and joined them on a nature-themed scavenger hunt and at a kite-making station. Many cooled off with a popsicle before gathering in the amphitheater for an inspirational word from Rose Andrykanus, Sunnyside Adventist Church associate pastor.
The weekend continued to lean into interconnected community culture as Pathfinders hosted a car wash and fired up the Snack Shack kitchen for two busy days of serving pronto pups, veggie burgers, kettle corn, ice cream and more in one final fundraiser for the upcoming trip to Gillette, Wyoming.
A steady stream of hungry visitors stopped by for tasty food, lingering at picnic tables to reunite with old friends and meet new ones. Customers perused rows of tables hosting this year’s ABC used book sale in Zull Hall, while others headed to the ABC to catch the "summer sale at camp meeting prices."
Pathfinders were able to raise more than $19,000 in two days between the Snack Shack, Sunday car wash and donations, with the largest single tip being a $100 bill for a single bag of kettle corn!
“We were opening at 10 a.m., but we had customers that are usually camp meeting volunteers in line waiting at 9 a.m. on Sunday,” laughed Sandi Carpenter, Snack Shack coordinator and Willamette district associate Pathfinder coordinator.
“The memorable sale of the fundraiser, though, was selling 30 packages of 10 pronto pups in one sale! Patricia Jackson came early on Sunday and placed her order," shared Carpenter. "When she came to pick it up she told us it wasn’t for any special occasion. It was for her family. Her son figured out he could have three Pronto Pups a week!”
“We just want to say thank you to everyone who came to contribute," said Carpenter. "We hope everyone had at least a little taste of camp meeting to last until next year!”
