Freedom Fest getting bigger by the year
Sep. 19—SHUMWAY — Enduring Freedom Ministries continued its tradition of providing local families and those in need with clothes, groceries and a day of "good old country life" over the weekend with Freedom Fest 2022.
The free event kicked off Saturday at the Shumway Freedom House Food Pantry and included live performances, a petting zoo, and a chance for families to get much-needed clothing or groceries at no cost.
Enduring Freedom Ministries Director Vickie Kight has been organizing Freedom Fest for well over a decade now and was surprised by the large turnout Saturday.
"This seems to be bigger every year. I don't know how," Kight said. "I bet you there's 500 that have crossed this line and ate, come and gone."
Among those performing Saturday were gospel artist Hilary Beard, fiddler Victoria Kittle, Holy Hands Puppets and Riley Jenkins, who was back by popular demand with his tribute to Elvis.
According to Kight, some of the people at the event were deaf, which is why they had a sign language interpreter next to the stage so nobody would be excluded from the festivities.
Food at the event was provided by Lickin' My Chicken and Pullin' My Pork BBQ, and homemade ice cream was cranked and provided by Emil and Melissa Lagerhausen, who have been helping Enduring Freedom Ministries for years.
Children at the event could choose from a variety of fun games and activities, including launch the chicken, baguette Wiffle Ball and a bouncy house. The recent expansion of the sweetcorn field by the food pantry allowed families to pick their own corn.
According to Kight, the activities were all run by different nonprofits, allowing them an opportunity to educate and inform families.
Throughout the event, Kight would announce numbers for families to select groceries from shelves packed with donated items, and families who needed clothes were able to walk through racks of a variety of donations.
Kight said even through the COVID-19 pandemic the number of families attending Freedom Fest continued to grow.
"With COVID, we were busier than ever," she said. "Our numbers jumped up in the hundreds. We usually do about 1,200 a month but it jumped up to 1,500, 1,600. Now it's calmed down, but it's still growing."
Kight explained why she loves organizing the event every year and why Enduring Freedom Ministries doesn't ask for anything in return.
"I think everyone here knows we do this because the Lord asked us to, and it's free. We don't ask for donations. We don't do any of that. It's just free. We want them to feel like family, everybody that's here."
Kight said for the first few years Freedom Fest was more of a mission trip than the local family event it has become. However, she added Enduring Freedom Ministries still travels the country to help those hit by tragedy, which recently included a trip to storm-ravaged Mayfield, Kentucky.
"We took off and we took a whole bunch of toys for the kids," Kight said.
Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226.
