by Cara Russell
Jane Barfoot-Hodde, Olga Daze 100-year-old Grand Marshall for the 100th Anniversary. Photo: Cara Russell
It was a nice overcast Orcas summer day, the kind that keeps you warm, and unaware that you really are getting much too much sun exposure. The Olga community was celebrating their 100th year of the Olga Community center, as well as the celebration of Jane Willis Barfoot-Hodde’s one-hundredth birthday!
It was quite the event, and many people came to celebrate in the interactive party. There was a lot of good old fashion fun, such as wheelbarrow races, a pie eating contest (won by Chris Morris), a silent auction, a rummage sale, a quilt raffle of another beautiful quilt made by Betty Marcum, meal sized hot-dogs with all of the works, and strawberry short cake with whipped cream.
People sat in the grass and at picnic tables to eat their food and listen to local musicians perform –Local Folk: Carl, Marc, Brian and Crow Valley Family String Band: Jim, Rachel, Tashi, Kaj.
Happy shoppers rummaging through the Olga Daze Rummage Sale. Photo: Cara Russell
Everyone rummaged through unique treasures at the rummage sale, and placed their bid at the silent auction, even three young girls had a small stand of their seashells and beach glass, all donating part of their proceeds to help relieve the Artists and owners of Olga Artworks.
Then there was the parade, which was quite substantial due to just about everyone took part in it. Orcas Fire and Rescue was out with one of their large apparatus.
Jane Barfoot-Hodde was the Grand Marshall in the parade surrounded by her family. Four female family members dressed in lovely old clothes that Jane had warn when she was six, seventeen, forty and sixty. “She keeps everything,” said one family member with a smile, and this reporter is glad for it. The women dressed as young Jane throughout her life was my favorite part of the event.
After the parade everyone moved onto the yard games. It’s hard to say if the kids taking part or the adults watching them had more fun…the kids did. There were games galore—from potato sack racing, wheelbarrow racing, the crab walk, the three-legged race, and of course the cruel Egg drop game where you try to carry an egg in a spoon, across the finish line–some kids lost that race before it even started.
The day was fun, and full of laughter, except for when the occasional kid lost a pie eating contest, or bonked their nose in a desperate attempt to be the first wheelbarrow across the finish line. Olga is a beautiful community, and it was a lovely way to spend a summer Saturday.
Just a few of the smiling faces at Olga Daze on Saturday. Photo: Cara Russell
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Many thanks, Cara, for the overall recap. To complete the roster of musicians who were on hand to help celebrate, we also thank Kellen Comrie, Robb Eagle, Sharon Abreu, Michael Hurwicz, Dave Roseberry, David Densmore and John Somerall Kudos also to Olga neighbor Tim Ordwing, for transforming his trailer into our sparkling sound stage. Thanks also to Rose’s talented bakers for donating the pie that was raffled for the Artworks fund, and to all the generous contributors who added to the Artworks fund jar at the stage. Inspiring, heartwarming day to remember!