GB Fund Raiser

Fundraising efforts for the new space for the Greenback Heritage Museum are underway, including an outdoor concert featuring the Drift Boat Cowboys on Saturday, April 29. Called Music for the Museum, the event includes the concert, a silent auction, live auction and heavy hors d’oeuvres and will be held from 5-8 p.m. at River Cove, 700 Summit Hill Drive, off Coytee Road in Greenback. Tickets are $75 per person, and all proceeds will go to the museum expansion efforts.

Parking and shuttle service will be available. Attendees should bring chairs or blankets for seating.

Deb Rossi, general contractor for the renovation of the former McCall-Kerr Hardware building where the museum will be housed, said the evening will be a fun time for those attending.

“We have the band starting at 5 p.m. and playing until a little after 7,” she said. “The silent auction also starts at 5, and so does the food.”

The silent auction will close around 6 p.m. as attendees continue to enjoy the music of the Drift Boat Cowboys and the food. At about 7:15 p.m., Greenback Mayor Dewayne Birchfield and representatives from the museum and the Greenback Historical Society will speak about the museum.

Marshall Stone, a local actor, will serve as master of ceremonies and will conduct the live auction.

Auction items

A number of items have been donated for both the silent and live auctions.

The silent auction items include a ring valued at about $500; an American flag home décor item; a George Brett signed baseball; several themed baskets, including one with University of Tennessee items and a historical basket of books offered for sale at the museum; hand-turned wood bowls; a unique handmade lamp; soaps; large, framed prints; gift certificates; and more. Sandra Tipton, treasurer for the Greenback Heritage Museum, donated autographed drumsticks from Eric Singer, drummer for the hard rock band Kiss.

Jennifer Hedrick, a member of the museum’s board of directors, said, “We will also have an antique picnic basket that has some wine and all the stuff you’d need for a wine and cheese picnic for two.”

“We have a custom piece of jewelry made just for this event from Rick and Patty Terry,” she said. “We have a poinsettia quilt made by Debbie Best that is 72 by 72 inches, and we have a vintage, handmade coverlet that’s king-sized, that goes all the way to the floor. We have Deb and Dina’s Dinner for eight, a five-course Italian home cooked meal. ”Additional offerings include a queen-sized abstract quilt; a handmade charcuterie board measuring 28 by 12 inches made from ambrosia maple; and an electric piano. Cindy Benefield, a member of both the Greenback Heritage Museum and Greenback Historical Society, said, “Bo Carey is going to give a choice of a Loudon walking tour. He’s sixth generation Loudon County.”

Generous donors

Rossi said she’s been overwhelmed at the generosity of people as donations have been sought for the fundraiser’s auctions as well as for materials and services for the actual construction of the new museum space.

Although Music for the Museum is not accepting any additional items for the auctions, Rossi said, “We will have multiple events throughout the year and we’d love to have donations for those. Contact the museum if you have something to donate for silent or live auctions for future events.”

Between $75,000 and $100,000 is needed to finish the work on the building, and Rossi said if all goes well, the new museum will be ready for occupancy by early summer.

Monetary donations are always welcome. Donation checks made directly to the Greenback Heritage Museum are not deductible for federal income tax purposes, so donors who wish to have the deduction may make checks payable to the Greenback Historical Society, a 501©(3) organization, with a notation that funds are to be used for the museum. Otherwise, checks may be made directly to the museum. Mail checks made out to either organization to The Greenback Heritage Museum, P.O. Box 165, Greenback, TN 37742.