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In the latest local effort to help those in need, Mountain Home Mayor Hillrey Adams is leading a community-wide fundraising campaign for victims of the May 26 tornado that struck Baxter County.
The fundraiser, scheduled for today, aims to provide financial assistance to those impacted by the disaster, particularly residents who were uninsured or underinsured.
Adams said the idea for the fundraiser was born out of a previous community effort where Adams and his team delivered over 1,300 pork sandwiches to those affected by the tornado.
“We were standing around the grill, talking, we got thinking, what else can we do? How else can we help?” Adams said. “And that’s how this idea came about.”
The upcoming event will feature two separate fundraising activities. The first, a smoked chicken lunch, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ERA Doty Real Estate. For $25, attendees will receive a meal that includes half a chicken, baked potato, ear of corn, and a roll.
“This Friday, the smoked chicken lunch will be a drive-thru pickup or a delivery if you buy 10 or more tickets,” Adams explained. “That’ll be from 11 o’clock to one.”
The second event, starting at 6 p.m. at the Baxter County Fair Grounds, will feature a dinner and live auction. The dinner menu includes pork steak, roasted potatoes, salad, and dessert.
“The dessert by Little B’s, I’ve been telling people all week, the dessert by Little B’s, that’s worth the price of admission alone right there,” Adams enthused.
Adams also mentioned a special beverage offering from local brewers in Baxter County.
“Parlor, Norfork, and Rapp’s have all partnered up to introduce a new craft beer called Helping Hands. They’re selling that in the brewery to raise money for this relief fund,” said Adams.
In addition to the meals, Brandon Barnes will conduct the auction, which will feature a variety of items.
“We’ve got items to auction, anything from coolers, food fishing trips to… garden fishing trips. We’ve got some power equipment, chainsaws, the typical stuff you see at something like that,” Adams said.
The mayor also highlighted a unique auction item.
“We’ve got a trailer or cargo trailer that’s going to be in the auction. It’s donated by Platinum Trailer group over at Jonesboro,” Adams said.
Several local businesses have partnered with food suppliers to make this event possible. Adams highlighted the community effort: “We started reaching out to the wholesale food companies, PFG, Springfield Grocery Company, Sysco, and those type places. We asked for their support to help us, and they all agreed.”
The mayor also praised the contribution of Old Hickory Pits from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, who are bringing one of their BBQ pits down to Mountain Home to help cook the meals.
“They have one that’s going to be delivered this afternoon. It’s called Hogzilla. I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s coming this afternoon. And it’s a pretty good sized machine to cook a lot of stuff,” Adams said
The May 26 tornado was the first major tornado to hit Baxter County since 2008, according to Baxter County OEM Director David Stults. The National Weather Service registered it as an EF3 tornado, nearly a mile wide at one point, with winds reaching 147 miles per hour as it traveled some 36.5 miles through multiple counties.
“Our target is to try to get that money we raised in the hands of people that were impacted by the tornado that either didn’t have insurance or were underinsured,” Adams explained. “That’s our primary focus.”
All proceeds from the events will be directed to the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas Disaster Relief Fund. Adams emphasized the local focus of the effort: “I want to make it clear that this money, you know, it’ll all be used in Baxter County.”
For those unable to attend but wishing to contribute, Adams offered an alternative: “Oh yeah, they can just make a check out to Food Bank of North Central Arkansas Disaster Relief,” he said. “They can drop it off at ERA or to any of those brewery locations.”
As the community rallies together in the wake of the disaster, Adams acknowledged the scale of the need. “It won’t help everybody that needs help, we know that,” he said. “But we’re doing the best we can to help as many as we can.”
Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased in advance at the following locations:
- Rapp’s Barren Brewery
- Little B’s Grill
- Rio Burrito
- Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce
- ERA Doty Real Estate
One hundred percent of all proceeds from the events will benefit victims of the May 26th tornado in Baxter County.
Sponsors for the event include Ben E. Keith, Springfield Grocery, Company, Townsend Spice & Supply, Performance Food Group, Ole Hickory Pits, Rapp’s Barren Brewery, Little B’s Grill, Rio Burrito, Colton’s Steakhouse, ERA Doty Real Estate.
