By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Orange Army Bluegrass Festival in Olive Hill wrapped up on Sunday, August 4, but the annual event gives throughout the year by building memories and providing support for those battling cancer. The festival brought together musicians and attendees who shared two passions, that of good music and the desire to help those in need. Last year the festival raised $30,000 dollars which it donated to twenty-one people to help in their fight against cancer.
“What we do is find people who are battling cancer and give them a $1,000 to $1,500 check,” festival planner Robert ‘Sleepy’ Porter said. “Usually, it’s $1,500 and it’s to help them pay for food or gas – whatever they need – to get them to their treatments.”
The festival helps to support people who are fighting all types of cancer, regardless of their age, Porter said. Last year they raised $2,000 to help a young individual who was fighting brain cancer go to Disney World, gifting him a bright memory in the midst of the darkness of his troubles. Porter said the mental aspect of fighting cancer can often be devastating in and of itself, so the group was more than happy to help raise the young man’s spirits and support him in his fight.
The multi-day event opened on August 1 with bluegrass music from artists such as Buddy Adkins, Solid Ground, Cedar Creek Bluegrass, 7 Mile Bluegrass, West Liberty Mountain Boys, and Keith Prater and Lacy Creek. The following day saw Bellamy and Brown, Billie Renae and Cumberland Gap, Charlie Woods and Deep Hollow, and Billie Droze & Gary Nichols take the stage. Saturday featured music from Lonesome Express, Branded Bluegrass, Caleb Daugherty, Breaking Grass, and Hammertowne.
Porter said everyone enjoyed the live music, the food, and the fellowship of the festival. One highlight, he said, was the auction where people regularly got into ‘bidding wars’ to see who could donate the most money.
“We auctioned off a quilt last year,” Porter said. “Someone from the audience donated it. This guy from out of Cincinnati won, but him and this other guy started going at it trying to outbid each other. He ended up paying $5,000 for it, but he took it home with a smile.”
“People want to donate money,” Porter continued, explaining the levels of community support for the event. “We’ll auction a bottle of bourbon… and it will probably bring $500 or $600. They want to give the money anyway, and that gives them some memorabilia they can take home with them.”
Another highlight of the festival was personal for Porter and his friends and family. Porter said that they were also able to get a mobile mammography to set up there, and nine women were able to get checked for breast cancer.
“That was wonderful,” Porter said. “That’s nine women that got to get checked out that might not have been able to otherwise. That really makes a difference.”
Porter said that he and his crew want to help any way they are able. Everyone involved in the festival is a volunteer and every dime raised goes to help people fighting cancer, he said.
“We even pay for our own camping because we want every penny to go to people fighting cancer,” he noted.
Porter also said that anyone who wants to join the Orange Army in helping in the fight against cancer can go to orangearmybluegrass.com for more information. They always need volunteers and accept donations year round.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
