Plenty board members and supporters have been gearing up their grassroots fundraising efforts this summer in honor of Plenty’s 30th Anniversary. The West Coast Plenty crew held two back-to-back fundraisers on August 20 and 21 for the Huichol Nutrition Project. Opening for one event was Sylvia Tepper’s women’s chorus from northern California. Plenty Board Chair Tom Wartinger debuted the new CAFSI DVD. Huichol Center Director Susana Valadez gave a slide show about Huichol culture and displayed some of its beautiful visionary art. Thanks to everyone who attended and helped make these events a success.

In July and August, Plenty supporters Tony Sferlazza and Sarah Firth organized a booth for Plenty and raised funds at two music festivals in Pennsylvania and Virginia - SHARE and "Floydfest." Later in August Tony traveled to Pine Ridge Reservation to assist Tom Cook with carpentry, electrical and plumbing at the new Pine Ridge Projects office at Slim Buttes. Sarah followed with the 5-member drum troupe from Ghana, African Showboyz, who played two free concerts at the Pine Ridge Village School.

Plenty board member Karen Heikkala and Plenty Austin are raffling off a beautiful lithograph of a Mayan mother and child, generously donated by local artist Keith Carson.

We have three new fundraising tools to show you and your friends, family or co-workers. The Plenty World Tour is a 9-minute DVD slideshow, which tells the story of Plenty’s 30 years of service work. The 11-minute CAFSI DVD describes Plenty’s history of soy-based nutrition programs with a focus on the Central American Food Security Initiative. Our Kids To The Country DVD includes footage of the kids, counselors, activities and philosophy of KTC. Contact the Plenty office in Tennessee if you’re interested in any or all of these for a fundraiser in your area.

At the Plenty Annual Meeting in July we awarded the first annual Karen Sharkey Flaherty Memorial Volunteer Scholarship to Celena McIntyre who will spend two months at a Plenty project—all expenses paid.