Family Fun Days set for July 1-3

COAL GROVE — For more than 35 years, the Coal Grove Betterment Club has kicked off summer with its annual Family Fun Days, and this year, the group hopes to have its best year yet.

The three-day event will be July 1-3 culminating with a fireworks display.

Carol Gool, Betterment Club secretary, said Family Fun Days is the club’s biggest fundraising event.

“It’s the highlight of the year, that and decorating our park for Christmas,” Gool said. “It gives everybody a chance to get involved and come. I think a lot of people use it for family reunions. It’s great that it has been able to go on that long. A lot of dedicated people have worked over the years toward that goal.”

The festival begins at 4 p.m. each day with local music acts taking the stage at Paul Porter Park. There will be inflatables, vendors, food booths, a Chinese auction and a cake and pie auction.

Last year, Gool said local businesses and individuals donated 150 baskets to auction off.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to do the same,” Gool said. “I’ve made a lot of calls and the others have too, getting people to agree to donate.”

This year marks the third annual cake and pie auction with Bob Sells as auctioneer. Gool said the event continues to grow each year, with the club raising about $3,600 last year.

Admission to Family Fun Days is free and all money raised goes to the Betterment Club’s various projects around the village.

“There is always maintenance at the park,” Gool said. “That’s a big thing. We are having to replace a lot of the Christmas things that have gotten old, broken. Just general upkeep. We’ve put roofs on some of the buildings up there. That takes most of our money.”

The club also teams up with the Coal Grove Lions Club for its annual Breakfast with Santa event, which offers free pancakes and entertainment to the public.

Currently, the Betterment Club’s membership is dwindling, but Gool said the group is always looking for new members. The club’s next meeting is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Jae Roush Community Building.