The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By: Justin Allaman
It's not all that often that Main Street of a town is closed to traffic due to a reason other than an emergency, but the barricades were up in Biggsville the evening of Thursday, June 5th. While just a few miles to the south, roads were closed off due to the ongoing construction on Highway 34, this particular instance was something different: a square dance.
The evening started at 5:00 p.m. with a free-will donation meal served by area volunteers in the Biggsville community building. All proceeds from the night went to Family Outreach Community Center (FOCC) , a non-profit organization that provides services to families in Henderson County.
An hour later those in attendance were drifting outside as the evening's caller Mr. Tom Manning of Burlington, IA started up the music and began walking the dancers through basic square dance steps. Young and old alike found themselves out on the dance floor of Main St. do-si-doing and promenading their partner. It was a lot of fun, comments Nathan Defenbaugh, 16 of Kirkwood.. The dancing was my favorite part.
And while the dancing was rated at the top, many attendees appreciated the opportunity to support a good cause. I am impressed with what FOCC is doing for [Henderson County], said Makayla Stewart, age 17 of Monmouth. I think it is a good start for families that need to get back on their feet...I love the way that they demonstrate Christ's love to others, added her younger sister Sidney.
As the dancing commenced, attendees were also encouraged to tour the Biggsville Museum and Hotel Lynn, providing those from outside the immediate area an opportunity to learn about the history of Biggsville. Terri Dean of Monmouth commented on how she & liked being able to go into Hotel Lynn and understand the history about it. I liked the Museum also. It was fun to be with a lot of great people.
After an hour of dancing, five cakes were auctioned off to the highest bidder, followed by a $.25 cake walk.
After the intermission, the music started up again, this time with more intricate steps as the dancers gained experience throughout the evening.
At the close of the evening, FOCC Executive Director Alicia Pence took the microphone to thank everyone in attendance for their support and talk about upcoming events sponsored by FOCC, including a Fashion Show and Tea the afternoon of June 22nd at the Media school building, a Basic Budgeting Learning Lesson July 21st, and the 2nd annual 5K Color Run August 2nd. All FOCC events are open to the public, with all Henderson County residents encouraged to attend.