SOS group plans for new kind of event

An event last year that served as a meal for first responders is planning to change into something vastly different than any other event in Young County – a chainsaw carving competition.

The Saving our Servants meal last year earned $16,140.72 in donations for an emergency fund that would be used to help first responders in Young County. The new SOS fundraising event, which must receive approval from the city and county, would still be a fundraiser for first responders, but there would be no meal, just a carving contest, organizer Weldon Floyd said.

“The event is going to focus on the southern states chainsaw carving contest. I guess we can call it the first annual southern states chainsaw carving contest, and we are going to invite every chainsaw carver we can find on the Internet and we got contact with some personnel,” he said.

The competition, if approved, would be held on the Graham downtown square Sept. 9, and be an all-day event with booths on the square. The entry fee for the chainsaw cutting competitors would be a small object they have to carve, which would then be publicly auctioned off the same day. All funds would then be added to the SOS first responders fund.

The event would be free to the public and the SOS committee is looking for sponsorships so they can attract chainsaw carvers from far and wide. The sponsorship levels will be the same as the event last year, with commercial sponsors having  platinum ($1,000), gold ($750), silver ($500) and bronze ($250) sponsorship levels.

Individual sponsors will also be accepted with the same levels of platinum ($100), gold ($75), silver ($50) and bronze ($25). For more information regarding the SOS event call Floyd at 940-456-1669.

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