Successful Arboretum Fundraiser Revives Community Spirits, Teamwork

Related Media

Flame Concert at Arboretum Pond

ESPERANCE, NY (07/25/2007)(readMedia)-- COMMENTARY BY ARBORETUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THOM O'CONNOR

It happened in Esperance,that sleepy hamlet with a low profile despite its storied significance as new and old timers will tell anyone who cares to listen. Historic Esperance whispers of grander times and takes pride in John McKeeby’s award-winning Schoharie River Center. Like many small communities along scenic Route 20, it stands shadowed by near-by Sharon Springs whose real-estate ventures generally eclipse all news of this tiny village of Hope – for now, anyway! These are thoughts far from my mind as I head to Price Chopper at dawn to pick up last minute products for the day ahead.

That day is July 21: Within a few hours, buses, vans, and cars will arrive with guests for a long-planned fundraiser that features Fulton County band FLAME -- [selected last week as Metroland’s Cover Band of the Year: “FLAME are not your average cover band: The members have a range of developmental disabilities. They are, however, the most remarkable, and they get the nod here not just because of their back story, but because they’re a great band, period. Based out of Lexington Center (Fulton County Arc), they’re certainly the most talked-about cover band in the area as well.”] – and, of course, Schoharie County’s senior sizzlers, Ms. Cherie and the Hot Pots. Long before either, however, will come the tireless volunteers who bring dreams and plans to life all the County’s non-profit entities -- through their aches, pains, and generosity.

Even as I open the gate at Landis, I see the first of several vehicles heading my way with members of the Esperance Elks, Lodge 2507. Hearing of the day’s fundraiser, they call and insist on helping and manning the concession booth. Within minutes they scout the area. Over the next two hours, Lodge members and their wives and friends come in and out of the Arboretum, position tables, set chairs, bring in food and lots of ice, and start a fire in the charcoal pit. Between tasks, I catch the lilt and lift of distant laughter. The Elks are making to good time of it. “We love helping out like this,” one yells to me as they catch me watching.

Despite a late start, the concert is an unqualified success. Close to 250 guests gather under the tent, others blanket the lawn, and some poke and play in the ponds -- all under the combined spell of the Hot Pots and then the rhythmic thrust of high voltage FLAME.

Assemblyman Peter Lopez arrives. He needs no introduction. His support for the ARC and his knowledge of FLAME are well documented because he “shows up” to support what is important to constituents of his 127 Assembly District – regardless of party affiliation. He is visibly moved by a citation honoring him and signed by everyone at the event.

Despite a full day with two stops after Landis, he and his wife Lisa make time to speak with as many as possible; more to the point, they know practically everyone – including the Elks: William Franklin Fowler and his wife Lu, Past Exalted Ruler Darryl Cummings, Burke Tillman and wife Lisa, Steven Robertson and his wife Liz, Kane Rockwell and fiancée Amy, Brian Dunning and wife Randi, along with Kathy Bottomly, Joan Sossei, and Morgan Diamond. Pete knows them all – and soon we do too and are grateful for their presence and support!

The day with the Elks of Esperance is less about new beginnings that will further connect the Town of Esperance with the Capital Region’s Arboretum than it is about strengthening a longstanding but nebulous relationship – not unlike knowing someone for a very long time but never knowing his/her name -- -and embarrassed to ask because you should have remembered when you were introduced. Now, that uncertainly is gone. At the end of the day, we’re just people gathered in a common cause, regardless of immediate geography or roots.

Whatever barriers made the Arboretum seem far away and remote have begun to dissipate. Despite a name that a few stumble over or confuse with a place to cremate the dead, the Arboretum is a “people place” enriched by the powerful presence of the magnificent Schoharie and Montgomery County countryside. It’s a gathering field – and a magnificent living museum -- that each day gains in national statures and adds to community pride.

In finding common ground, we’ve also found ways to achieve collective and separate goals. We’ve united in an unspoken understanding to raise the bar on an already high quality of life – and attract others to our shared community.

We all know the buzzwords: Teamwork. Team play. Mutual Support. Shared activities. Assemblyman Peter Lopez, FLAME, the Hot Pots, and the Esperance Elks have taken the buzz one step further. They have supported by their action. By being there. By their deeds we shall remember their names and their impact. It is a lesson that could benefit organizations and those who populate them -- everywhere.