As always, the event was free, and attracted folks from near and far! And there was a powerful posse of volunteers that made this event flawless.

With more than a dozen workshops and presentations  -- in morning and afternoon sessions-- there was something for everyone, from discovering the finer aspects of smoking meats from Mr. P, learning everything you ever wanted to know about New York State’s Moose population, from the DEC’s Sharon Tabor to the secrets of successfully bagging Monster Bucks, from Tony and Pat Salerno.

Master of ceremonies, Karl Storman did a bang up job. Take a well deserved bow!

One of the most popular presentations was given by Gary Hodgson, on how to build a Birch Bark Canoe.  But that’s just the beginning:  Gary showed how you can make tools for survival from just about anything – animal bones, wood and how to make a homemade knife. Our hands done favorite, not necessarily for survival, was a back scratcher made from a turkey claw!

Pastor David Peterson, from Mountainside, said grace before lunch, delicious as always: pulled pork, carrots, potatoes, ‘slaw and rolls. The highlight, as it is every year, delicious home made pies – think of a fruit and there was a pie made from it. Oh, and our new favorite: the chocolate mud pie.

Before the featured speaker Dawn Martin wowed the crowd with a rousing version of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” (Dawn, you did a fantastic job!!! – please consider applying for America’s Got Talent!)

The featured speaker, Dr. Larry Moyer, had the crowd on his side from the very beginning, cracking some very funny jokes, talking about how his relationship with God helped overcome a potentially debilitating speech defect, to his love of big game hunting and its connection to God.  To say Larry is just a hunter would be mistake – he has hunted all over the world, bagging trophy-sized animals of every description.

Larry, now lives in Dallas, but was raised on a farm in Lancaster County. He is now an evangelistic speaker for Evan Tell’s “Operation Friendship”.

Then it was onto what amounts to Christmas in March: Dozens and dozens of prizes were given away in a free raffle! From guns, to fishing gear, to every imaginable hunting accessory, a lot of lucky folks – myself included – walked away with a goodie. At the helm with MC Karl Storman was Thurman Pastor Bob Hermann, who has been part of the event for 19 years.

The silent auction raised a bunch of money, with many winners bagging some great stuff – at way below retail value.

The event was organized by Tony Tenda and a slew of volunteers. 

From Tony: "We had 75 volunteers, and about 110 homemade pies. Larry Moyer was booked by our original ASD chairman Rick Brooks, who knew him through his ministry work. I have read though all the response cards, and I cannot count the times "great event" was written.

"The most satisfying aspect this year was how all the new members of the committee came though and gave it their all.  We have lost several key players the last couple years, as families have moved away from the area. Another satisfying aspect was the huge volunteer effort from  the members of Mountainside Bible Chapel.

"Because of the logistics of the event, we can plan all we want, but without large numbers of volunteers it just would not work."

Congrats to everyone involved in this terrific event. See ya all,  next year.

And this just in, from Tony:

Also thanks to my partner on the committee, Karl Sailer. He is a pro's pro, and the organizational specialist, couldn't be done without him".