Nokesville Barn Restoration Committee Discusses Fundraising

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The Hawkins Barn, which is visible from Route 28 in Nokesville, is distinct for its mural of dancing farm animals. Owned by a private resident, the barn has fallen into disrepair, but Chuck Leggett along with supporters has  started a committee to raise funds for its restoration.

The members of the Barn Restoration Project Committee met on May 9 to discuss plans to raise more funds for the restoration of the Hawkins Barn and discuss several fund raising opportunities.

Committee members include Charles Leggett, who runs Nokesville's Facebook page and other local social media sites; Melinda Masters of the Nokesville Ruritans; Pablo Teodore, President of Friends Uniting Nokesville; and Julie Stadig, member of Friends Uniting Nokesville attended.

One fundraising event they considered was a play to be performed by the Stagecoach Theater Company. Stagecoach was considered because their children’s play, “A Barnyard Christmas,” featured talking barn animals. However a rewrite is being considered, since neither the committee nor Stagecoach prefer to hold the performance during the holiday season. Another option is a murder mystery play.

The committee would like to hold the performance on the same day as a major Nokesville community event, such as the Ruritans Brunswich Stew, so as to bring in more of the public.

The group brainstormed other fundraising ideas such as raffles, auctions, sponsorships, 5-K race or some other health/fitness-related event. Any event would need to have popular appeal and also not be too cost prohibitive.

The group members also talked about their plan for Nokesville Day on May 19. The committee has reserved a Barn Restoration booth, and they will sell t-shirts for their cause.

As for marketing the restoration campaign, one of the committee’s goals is to brand itself and get the word out by bringing more people to its website, through social media. But they also intend to use old-fashioned marketing, such as handing out flyers at Nokesville Day. To optimize their appeal, the committee also plans to add visuals to its website, such as charts or pictures depicting where the money would be spent and how close they are to incremental goals.

The committee also discussed the difficulties they face. The cause alone has not yet rallied the huge support they had hoped, so going forward they want to only invest in those fundraising events which would draw a significant crowd.

The committee is hopeful that Nokesville Day will be a productive day for their cause, allowing them to talk directly with community members. They also hope to find more committee members, volunteers and sponsors.

Those who would like to find out more about the Barn Restoration Project, make a donation or purchase a t-shirt, can visit the Nokesville Barn Restoration Project Facebook page.

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