Cunningham, TN – Central Civitan Club’s Lone Oak Picnic was back for its 115th year, with the traditional cruise-in, a silent auction, inflatables, activities for the kids, messages from the area’s elected leaders and political hopefuls, and of course BBQ.
Hundreds showed up, in spite of Saturday’s 100 + degree heat index.
Central Civitan Club of Cunningham, Tennessee’s Beth Kasper spoke about this year’s event.
“This has been going on for 115 years,” Kasper said. “The first one was a lodge picnic, and more than a century later we can say, more years than not, there has been a picnic. The lodge did it for many years, then a local business took over. The Civitan Club began hosting the picnic in 1975.”
Cunningham’s Central Civitan Club was founded in 1958. The organization raises thousands of dollars every year that directly benefits the community.
“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Kasper said. “We raise thousands of dollars that we give to the community. Most of the funds stay south of the river, where we provide funds to two local volunteer fire departments, four public schools, and BSA Scout Troop 546.
“Civitan International puts an emphasis on helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so we will donate money to Buddy Ball, Camp Rainbow, Special Olympics, and other charitable causes that are brought to our attention throughout the year.”
Kasper says the Davis Brothers help club members with the cooking process. They get the fires started the night before the event, start cooking the meat and making the sauce. The BBQ tent usually has a line of people waiting to get sandwiches, chips, soft drinks, and ice cream. Civitan also sells BBQ by the pound, and whole shoulders at the end of the day, if they haven’t sold out.
Another big draw for the event is the live music. Perennial favorite, Back Lot Pickers always puts on a great show under the main tent. Once the event is underway, the candidates and other speakers are brought up to the stage.
“We have a few candidates today,” Kasper said. “We also have four people from the Montgomery County Republican Party who will be speaking. Larry Pitts will be introducing the candidates and speakers today. I know we have Representative Jeff Burkhart, Senator Bill Powers, Highway Supervisor Jeff Bryant, Register of Deeds Julie Runyon, the GOP’s Doug Englen and several others.”
Senator Bill Powers spoke about what brings him back to Cunningham, year after year.
“It doesn’t get anymore Clarskville-Montgomery County than the Lone Oak Picnic,” Powers said. “I look forward to it every year. This year I’m here mostly for the BBQ, but next year I’ll be back in campaign mode. This is ‘small-town America’, and I’m always thrilled to be here. This is also a great chance for people to communicate their views to their elected officials, and that is how it’s supposed to be.”
Kasper says she has her own name for the annual picnic, calling it “ Cunningham’s family reunion. Every year, lots of people come from out of town to be here for this event, and reconnect with the people of this community. But, everyone is welcome, and we encourage them to join us”.
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About the Lone Oak Picnic
The Central Civitan Club has sponsored the Lone Oak Picnic since 1975. Lone Oak is a tradition for candidates in Montgomery County. All the money raised is used in the communities south of the Cumberland River through several projects sponsored by the Central Civitan Club.
The Central Civitan Club, for example, supports the local Boy and Girl Scout troops. The club provides financial assistance to victims of house fires in the community. It supports educational and extracurricular activities of the students, teachers, and staff of both Montgomery Central High School and Cumberland Heights Elementary School.
It also supports the Buddy Ball Special Needs Athletic League as well as the #BeMoreLikeWade 5K Scholarship Run/Walk/Crawl. These are just a few of the activities the Club Supports.
They also fund scholarships for and support many educational and extra-curricular activities of the students, teachers, and staff at Montgomery Central High School, Montgomery Central Middle School, and Montgomery Central Elementary School as well as Cumberland Heights Elementary School.
