The Gates Rogers Foundation held a very successful Fundraiser Saturday night (June 9, 2018) benefiting their South Fork Nature Center. “Finger Food” acoustical guitar group played two sets of “crowd-pleasing” music at the Fairfield Bay Conference Center. The guitarists performed “in the round” and traded songs and stories about their compositions and their approach to the guitar in the casual concert setting. The music focused on contemporary instrumental American Fingerstyle Guitar with folk, jazz, Celtic, classical and blues influences.

The Gates Rogers Foundation and all the people who work so hard to make South Fork Nature Center a success want to thank the group for donating their time and talent to help raise money for the educational mission of the center.

The night included refreshments, cash bar and a great silent auction. Tables were decorated with the “woodsy” theme of the nature center, including fresh flowers, educational trail books, plant artifacts, lanterns, magnifying glasses, dissecting scopes, walking sticks, and student artwork.

Many docents and friends of South Fork stepped up to the plate by donating items to our Silent Auction. The theme of the Auction was “Arkansas Artists-Arkansas Destinations.” There were blown glass goblets, a hand turned wooden bowl, oil paintings, pastels, water color pieces, pottery, jewelry, grilling tools, a unique glass sculpture of a quilt square, a stained glass sun catcher, along with an outfitter trip on the Little Red River, a 2 night stay at a fishing cottage on the Little Red River, and a 2 night stay at the Whispering Wings Ranch (located near the Kings River) donated by The Nature Conservancy.

We also want to thank our sponsors, starting with First Security Bank of Clinton (who not only donated money to sponsor our event but sold our tickets locally). Additional sponsors include CiCis Pizza of Central Arkansas, The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas, Graham & Associates, Inc., Davis Cash Lumber, Edward Jones of Clinton and Fairfield Bay, PEH Hardware in Choctaw, Petit Jean Electric, and Crossman Printing. Many thanks goes to all who pitched in to make this a successful night!