Suffolk News-Herald

Not even cloudy skies could keep more than 300 people from enjoying a day of food, games, clowns, face painting, horseback riding, and auctioneering at the Holland Community Day last Saturday. The celebration raised more than $3,500 for the Suffolk Shelter for the Homeless.

The event was so successful that event organizers Robert Holland, Curtis Holland, Alton Collins, Bo Copeland, and Willard Parker said that they are planning fish fries throughout the summer to further benefit the Finney Avenue shelter.

&uot;Our main goals of giving area residents something new and fun to do and raising money for the shelter were successfully met,&uot; said Holland.

The beauty of the event is its newness, said Terry Miller, executive director of the Suffolk shelter.

&uot;There were so many people who had never before attended an auction but it didn’t take long for them to get in the swing of things,&uot; she said.

Holland auctioned off more than 200 items during the event.

Another star attraction was the horseback riding, provided by Jubilee Farms of Suffolk.

&uot;To see children on horseback being guided around the playing field was really touching,&uot; Miller said. &uot;Even though many of them live in a rural area, they had never experienced that simple pleasure of feeling wind on their faces and being high in the air on the back of a horse.&uot;

Firefighters from the Holland Fire Station and a clown were on hand to provide additional entertainment.

Cook Willard Parker kept the grill going to satisfy hungry folks.

&uot;We now have all spring and summer to fry some fish, to sell some dinners and to keep helping the shelter too,&uot; he said.