Heading to the ‘country’

Mother’s Club fair serves as group’s major fundraiser.

By: Bill Greenwood
   MONROE — The Monroe Township Mother’s Club wants residents to join it at its 19th annual Country Fair for a day of fun and community-building.
   The event will be held Sept. 9 from noon to 6 p.m. in Thompson Park, said Marguerite Dafoe, the event’s chairwoman and vice president of fundraising for the Mother’s Club. She said the event usually is well attended, and she would like to see it "packed" again this year.
   "The more that come, the better off we are," she said. "It’s a great time for families, especially those with children."
   The event will feature a number of games for children, a horse-and-wagon ride and performances by band Dusty Daze and DJ Wacky Wayne Junior, Ms. Dafoe said. She said there also will be a number of vendors on hand selling crafts, handing out free T-shirts and selling food.
   "We have terrific food vendors who have been with us these whole 19 years," she said.
   She said there would be children’s contests — including Little Miss Monroe, Town Squire and Baby Buggy competitions — 50-50 and basket raffles, a petting zoo and pony rides.
   Ms. Dafoe said the event is the Mother’s Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year. While the fair is free to attend and all of the games and performances also are free, the club makes money by charging vendors for spaces, selling raffle tickets and selling ads in their program book.
   "We raise enough money to hold us over for about a year," Ms. Dafoe said. "For the Mother’s Club, that’s a really major fundraiser."
   Ms. Dafoe encouraged residents to come out for the festivities not only to have fun and check out the vendors’ wares but also to meet neighbors they usually do not see.
   "That’s what it’s for," she said. "It’s a township celebration."
   She said she hopes those who make the trip to Thompson Park leave happy.
   "There’s so many things for them to enjoy, especially with the children," she said. "Plus the music and the entertainment we have and the food."
   Ms. Dafoe said there are still spaces left for vendors who wish to participate. They can register by calling her at (732) 251-3566 or the Monroe Township Community Center at (732) 723-5000.