On Saturday, September 12th, Silver Lake hosted its annual Apple BBQ festival and with it, Hart Athletic Booster’s annual car show. Cars were on display in the Chicken Shack parking lot, awaiting their nearly three thousand visitors, and vendors perched along the road prepared to sell their craft. Not only does this yearly event kick off the start of local autumn festivities, but it also raises money for Hart High School’s athletic teams! 

Hart Athletic Boosters is a fundraising program to support HHS’s sports team; the program is run by Stefanie Miller, along with her husband, Lloyd Miller. When asked about the car show and volunteering at the Apple Fest, Mrs. Miller said, “At first it was just a quick, cool thing to volunteer for. Once I realized how much money we could get for our teams, I started taking it a bit more seriously.” The program encourages students and staff alike to volunteer in order to raise money for sports programs, and this year lots of student athletes volunteered for the fun at Silver Lake!  Among these student volunteers was sophomore Layla Bronkema, who, when asked what her favorite part about volunteering was, explained, “My favorite part about volunteering was the extra team bonding I got with my teammates.” Most volunteers assisted the car owners in navigating the busy lot, which held one-hundred and thirty-five display cars, as well as making sure no accidents occurred that could damage the cars. One third of the funds gathered go to HHS’s teams, and the event earned an estimated $14,250 in funds this year.   The Hart Athletic Boosters have been participating and fundraising at the Apple BBQ festival for four years, though the festival has reached its twenty-third anniversary.

If community members are interested in participating in the event next year for Apple BBQ Festival’s twenty-fourth celebration, they can connect with Hart’s coaches or Athletic Booster members.