Friends raise funds for restoration
Ticket holders are encouraged to arrive at the Friends of Fort Griffin 15th Annual Gala at the Collins Creek Ranch this Saturday, Oct. 6, as early in the evening as they can, because Doug Moreland will give a demonstration of his chainsaw carving abilities as soon as the gates to the ranch open for the event at 6:00 p.m.
“We don’t know what Doug will carve,” said organizer Susan Waller. “It’s supposed to be a surprise. Everyone is encouraged to come and guess what it is going to be as he is working.”
The bar opens and the silent auctions begin at 6:00 p.m.
Diners will sit down to the ribeye steak dinner at 7:00 p.m., and multi-talented artist Doug Moreland and the Flying Armadillos band will fill the air with live dance music starting at 7:45 p.m.
Bidders can compete for treasures at the live auction, starting at 8:30 p.m., and double check their silent auction bids before the winners are declared at 9:30 p.m.
The Gala is open to everyone over 21 years old who purchases a $50 ticket, and proceeds from the event are used by the Friends of Fort Griffin to fund restoration projects at Fort Griffin State Historical Site.
“The Gala is our major fundraiser for projects at Fort Griffin State Historic Site,” said Waller. “Come have fun and help Fort Griffin at the same time!”
Featured Artist
Native Texan Doug Moreland has released nine albums including his latest, Bring Back The Swing, that incorporate many original songs that he either wrote or co-wrote.
Moreland has opened for Willie Nelson, Cory Morrow, Pat Green, and Roger Creager, and the band has also performed with Asleep At The Wheel, Robert Earl Keen, Corb Lund, and Ryan Bingham.
Moreland is also a radio show host and a highly skilled and self-taught chainsaw artist.
Cattelacs art gallery located in Manchaca, a few miles south of Austin, serves as Moreland’s office, music studio, and showroom for his chainsaw wood carvings.
Moreland plays fiddle, guitar, and vocals in his band. Randy Roberts supplies vocals and also keeps the beat with his upright bass. J.D. Pendley is on the guitar. Welsey Holtsford plays the mandolin and the fiddle.
Auction Items
Moreland has agreed to donate the piece he carves on Saturday evening to the Friends Gala auction.
Other items up for sale in the auction include a full-size rolling Igloo cooler with a small cooler and a water jug, a framed Thomas Kinkade print, an Xtreme brand auto dash cam with night vision, an old-fashioned style red lantern that features a LED flame powered by batteries, and a leather wine tote.
Also expected are cookbooks, barbecue accessories, a Watt Casey Jr. photograph of the Grand Tetons, an unopened numbered bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 years old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and an unopened numbered bottle of Old Weller the Original 107 Proof Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.
Xi Chi Pi will be selling raffle tickets for a $500 gift card to a bed and breakfast in Fredericksburg, and also raffle tickets for a dove hunt on the Belcher Ranch.
Park Projects
Currently the Friends of Fort Griffin are working toward restoring the Sutler Store at the fort.
The next step in the Sutler Store project is an archeological study, scheduled to start soon after next weekend’s Living History Days.
Projects that the Friends of Fort Griffin have funded over the years include research on the Powder Magazine, restoration of the Powder Magazine, work on the barracks chimneys, restoration of the Bakery, replacing roofs on the Mess Hall, the barracks, and the Jackson House, providing food for reenactors at the fort, and research on the Sutler Store.
“We’ve already spent over $100,000 on upgrades at the park,” said Waller. “We want to continue to make the already great fort even better.”
