Gathering Reports 2009 July-August Page two Cowboy Poetry at the BAR-D Ranch www.CowboyPoetry.com

The little committee of Cowboy Poets of Utah and Western Music Association members in the Ogden, Utah area, who organized two benefit events this summer for Team Briggs (www.teambriggs.org) and the family of Sylina and Brenn Hill to help with medical bills, would like to thank all the people who helped in some way to make our efforts somewhat successful.

The Michael Martin Murphey—Waddie Mitchell concert on June 16, 2009 attracted nearly 1,000 fans to Roy High School’s auditorium. We should have filled the place but a Tuesday night, mid week event did not bring in as large a crowd as we’d hoped for despite our best efforts to publicize. Still we were able to put a large amount in the Team Briggs account. (Incidentally, we could not have made the necessary contact with Michael Martin Murphey without Mike Kirkwood’s help.) Everyone attending agreed it was a fantastic show.

The auction and entertainment event at Fremont High School on August 15, 2009 was a questionable undertaking from the start. We knew that the local folks were just about “benefited out” and this late summer effort simply did not attract a very big crowd (understatement!). We did make an heroic effort with publicity: posters, newspaper, radio, email, and so on. We had a terrific show before a sparse crowd in the auditorium from noon to early evening. Entertainers included: The Drifter and Miss Judy, Phil Kennington, Laurie Tye, Stan Tixier, The Johnson Creek Band, Richard Lee Cody, Bob Christensen, Jo Lynne Kirkwood, Dave Tingy, Coyotee Moon, Robin Arnold, the Urry family (Bob, Matt, Courtney and Lane), The High Strung Band (from Oregon), J.C. Needham, Casey Woods, Marion Manwell, Kenny Hall, and The Blue Sage Trio. The highlight of the event occurred when Brenn and Sylina came up on the stage with Quayden, Briggs and little Cambridge. Brenn Hill capped the entertainment portion with two songs playing the Nowland guitar the was later in the live auction.

We had a direct sale of entertainers’ CDs and books, an “Opportunity Drawing” (kinda like a raffle), a Silent Auction and finally a live auction with our own C.R. Wood serving as auctioneer and doing a superb job. If more bidders had been there to bid up the various items available. it’s certain that a good deal more money could have been brought in for this most worthy cause. Still we made a solid amount, with three major items unsold there but pending sale on e-bay or KSL.com which could or should bring the total even higher.

Two other things should be noted about the August 15 event. A very generous and proficient lady from Liberty, Utah, by the name of Terri Minnock nearly single-handed made the Silent Auction possible. She personally acquired a good many of the items and organized the entire effort with the help of several volunteers she rercuited. The Silent Auction could not have happened without Terri. Becky Hogaard of the Rockin’ HH Ranch Store suggested that we do the food service ourselves when the caterer we had contacted insisted on a firm number of eaters. Becky put on a great bar-b-que with all the trimmings and we even make a little profit for the cause.

It was a good deal of work and worry but all-in-all it was a good feeling to know that the efforts of a few WMA and CPU members could provide a little financial help to “one of our own” and his courageous little boy. When little Briggs, on stage, gave a “ thumbs up” to his grandpa Vern in the audience, that made it all worthwhile.