The Springfield City Council approved two fundraisers to be held at the fairgrounds in August.
Brett Gordon, the current board chairman for the Habitat for Humanity of Effingham County asked to host a barbecue event. Habitat wants to hold a family festival Aug. 23 at the fairgrounds.
“We are applying to International Barbeque Cooks of America to host a competition cook off that will be advertised throughout the southeastern United States,” Gordon said.
Habitat also plans on holding a church choir competition between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. that Saturday.
“It’s still early enough that people can get home and cleaned up, and people who want to go to church the next day have time to get the kids home and get them in bed,” Gordon said.
He said he hopes to have between 4,000 and 6,000 people come to the event throughout the day. Gordon said there will be blow-up slides, a rock climbing wall and non motor-driven rides.
“Our biggest goal is to do something that is going to be good for the name of Habitat, good for the name of Springfield and good for the name of Effingham County,” he said.
The council also approved an event for Faith Equestrian Therapeutic Center to be held Aug. 2.
“We’re hoping to have a fundraising event at the fairgrounds, and the biggest reason is because you say what is Faith Equestrian Therapeutic Center? A lot of people don’t know about us, so we are hoping to raise awareness,” said FETC founder Bonnie Rachael.
She said the program provides free therapeutic equestrian program for children and adults with disabilities, and it has been operating for three years. FETC is a member of North American Ride for the Handicapped Association and also works with Special Olympics.
“We took a young man to the Special Olympics in November of last year, and I’m proud to say he won a gold medal,” Rachael said.
Rachael said there would be family events with vendors, food, live entertainment, slides and possibly a dunking booth from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. There will also be a live auction. After a break, there will be a concert by Warren Barfield at 7 p.m. The performance will last between 60 and 90 minutes.
City council also approved bids for work on the sprayfield and force main project. The rejection pond will be contracted to T&D Enterprises for $105,500. The wastewater treatment plant pump station rehabilitation and force main will be done by McClendon Enterprises for $145,568.97 and $473,999.94.
The sprayfield site clearing, grubbing and erosion control and the sprayfield site grading will be done by HARCO for $116,869 and $100,600. The sprayfield site preparation grassing will be done by Indigo FG&G for $138,700.
