There’s a clandestine goal of the Strawberry Festival that many people may not realize as they enjoy exciting entertainment and tasty strawberry treats. A big aspiration for festival organizers Fran and Sandy Dunbar is to help out non-profit groups in the community, and this year the Dunbar’s are excited about a new partnership.
The Owego Apalachin Foundation for Excellence in Education, or the OA Foundation, is joining the Strawberry Festival to provide experienced volunteers for the beer and wine tasting tent. Already experienced in hosting similar events with their annual Wine/Beer Tasting and Silent Auction each January at the Owego Treadway Inn, Sandy Dunbar is looking forward to having them at the Strawberry Festival.
“It’s a perfect fit,” Dunbar said of the OA Foundation staffing the wine and beer tasting tent at the Strawberry Festival. It’s been hard to find 12 to 15 volunteers to work the tent, Dunbar added, and with proceeds being split with the OA Foundation to fund their scholarship programs, Dunbar was exuberant about benefiting this local organization that is working to enhance the education of OA students.
Established in 1997, the OA Foundation provides funding and builds community support for innovative and challenging student programs within the boundaries of the Owego Apalachin School District. In 2002 the OA Foundation began a scholarship program for graduating seniors continuing their education in a youth oriented field, according to OA Foundation President Janey Sargent. In 2004, the OA Foundation was selected by the Marzo family to administer a scholarship in memory of Joseph N. Marzo, Sargent said.
Then in 2014, the Foundation was again asked to take on more scholarship responsibilities as the local chapter of Dollars for Scholars folded, Sargent said. The remaining Dollars for Scholars funds were transferred to the OA Foundation, which was used to award 17 scholarships worth $8,500 to OFA graduating seniors. Sargent said that the proceeds from the Strawberry Festival would help to continue this tradition.
“We have a very low overhead,” Sargent said, “and everything goes back into the community.” So far, Sargent proudly said the OA Foundation has given back $144,000 to the Owego and Apalachin communities.
“It’s a big deal for them and for us,” Fran Dunbar said of the Strawberry Festival partnering with the OA Foundation. “We love to help non-profits, and this will help support their scholarships, which benefit the community,” Dunbar said.
“We encourage non-profits to participate in the Strawberry Festival and use it as a fundraising opportunity,” Sandy Dunbar said. Like any other vendor, she said a non-profit organization could reserve a booth and provide children’s activities, arts and crafts, or sell food and refreshments. The Strawberry Festival is a celebration of Owego and Tioga County, and non-profit organizations are a vital part of the fabric that comprises our community.
Meanwhile, the less exciting but essential tasks of organizing the festival are ongoing. Fran Dunbar reminded merchants to return their applications for the street space in front of their stores, and call the Dunbar’s at (607) 343-5202 if an application has not been received.
There are a lot of new vendors this year, Dunbar said, with different and unique offerings of food, arts, and crafts for people to peruse. “We really try hard to have a variety of unique vendors,” Dunbar said, and this year there’s quite a variety. But while there will be plenty of new things to experience during this year’s Strawberry Festival on June 19 and 20, Dunbar said there will also be all the favorites that keep people coming back.
There’s still time to get involved with the 2015 Strawberry Festival. Dozens of volunteers are needed, as well as sponsors and vendors. Information can be found online at www.owegostrawberryfestival.com, or by stopping by Dunbar Antiques on Lake Street Wednesday through Saturday between the hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
