You know, when you actually get out in the community, you meet the nicest people! Case in point: Dick and Teri Killingsworth.
I met the Killingworths at the “Friday at Fresno Flats” event, held the second Friday of each month. Last Friday’s event on the Harlow Fire drew a standing-room-only crowd. About 80 people attended the event.
Dinner was prepared by the volunteers and is served buffet style, so there was a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Although because of the popularity of Friday’s event, those at the back of the line may have had to stop for a snack on the way home!
Dick and Teri have been volunteers at Fresno Flats for about 7 years. Teri says that when they first moved here they were out driving around and saw Fresno Flats. Both are interested in history, so when they happened upon the historic park they knew they had to stop.
After taking the tour from George and Bea Walden who were the docents that weekend, Dick and Teri were invited to become members. They quickly agreed and later became docents themselves. They say that it is really fun to see the excitement that others experience during their tours. Dick estimates that they volunteer 25 to 30 hours per month.
They have visitors from all over the world with nearly every country on the globe represented in their guest book.
Teri says Fresno Flats needs to raise awareness for locals. “I consider Oakhurst to be a decent size community in comparison to some of the others near us, and yet there are people that I speak with who have never been to Fresno Flats, and haven’t a clue what a valuable part of our history it is. I will do everything in my power to keep the doors from closing”.
Dick is in charge of facilities maintenance, which makes him a jack-of-all-trades repairing anything from electrical to plumbing. He is also on the Ways and Means Committee, which essentially means that if they need money for something they find a way to get the means, going as far as cashing in scrap metal. He says that fundraising ideas are always on their minds.
Teri takes care of the events calendar (amongst her many other duties) coordinating the many events that are held at Fresno Flats during the year. Did you know that you can rent Fresno Flats?
The biggest challenge Fresno Flats faces right now is money. Dick says that some months it is a struggle to pay the electric bill.
Fresno Flats has two needs right now, the first being new volunteers. The current volunteers are aging (gracefully) and a new crop needs to be recruited to keep this part of our history alive. Once Fresno Flats is gone, a large part of the rich history of our community may be forgotten.
The second need is funds. If you can help by making a donation or participating in a fundraising event, please do.
For more information on Fresno Flats, visit their website at http://www.fresnoflatsmuseum.org/
