The summer heat didn’t stop the Auburn community from coming out to the Fresh Air Market at Chewacla State Park Saturday.
The two-day market is a fundraising opportunity for the Alabama Sheriff Girl's Ranch. Chewacla State Park, The Auburn and Opelika Tourism Bureau, and the Alabama Sheriff Girl’s Ranch organized the market.
The Girl's Ranch is a home for abused, neglected and abandoned girls between ages 6-18. The ranch has three homes with up to 10 girls living with a married couple in each home.
The main goal of the ranch is to provide girls loving homes and a chance to strengthen their work ethic as they work on the ranch. The 200-acre ranch has been open for 42 years and has helped over 1200 girls.
New Water Farms, a vendor at the market, is working with the Girl’s Ranch to build a garden for the girls. New Water Farms has donated vegetable baskets to the girl’s home, until this year when they decided to help them grow a garden.
“We plan on hiring four of the girls to work on the farm,” Sidney Hancock, farm manager of New Water Farms, said. “We help these girls with resume building and give many of them their first jobs."
Another market vendor, the Tri-Count Children's Advocacy Center, allowed market attendees to participate in the Duck Norris Derby, a rubber duck race. Attendees had the option to "adopt" one, five or 100 rubber ducks and enter them in race in the lake.
Over 1000 ducks floated down the lake but only one could win. That one lucky duck won $2,500, the rest of the proceeds from the "duck adoptions" went to the Girl’s Ranch.
The Tri-County Children’s Advocacy Center is in charge of helping the girl’s with counseling, education, training and advocacy.
“We wanted to do something fun,” said Jacqueline Burgess from the Tri-County Children’s Advocacy Center. “We looked around and saw other’s success with duck races and wanted to try it ourselves. Our guy in charge really likes Chuck Norris so that’s how we got the name."
Over 100 local vendors participated in the market. Vendors sold food, jewelry, crafts, paintings and clothing.
There were also hiking trails, biking trails, yoga by the lake and a 26-acre lake with a swimming area.
Activities like face painting, a playground and bouncy house were also present for children. The market also hosted musicians and comedians.
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