PORT TOWNSEND — Trail enthusiasts are invited to a special performance by the Freddy Pink band, which will perform Saturday during the second annual Olympic Discovery Trail Benefit Concert and Silent Auction.
The event will be from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way.
Freddy Pink is a cover band that specializes in popular music stretching from the 1960s through the 21st century.
In addition to live music, the event features dancing, a barbecue and a silent auction.
Tickets are $20 at the door or in advance online at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-FreddyPinkTickets.
The barbecue dinner costs an additional $11 or $15, depending on portion size. There is also a vegetarian option.
This is an all-ages event.
Proceeds from the fundraiser, organized by the Peninsula Trails Coalition, will fund maintenance of the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT), said Brian Anderson, Peninsula Trails Coalition board member, on Thursday afternoon.
“We are looking to raise, net, $20,000,” Anderson said.
“It is the largest fundraiser that we have annually by far. Our budget for the upcoming year is about $48,000, and this accounts for about 40 percent of our budget.”
The rest of the budget is gained from membership fees and donations from the community, Anderson said.
The coalition, founded in 1988, is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that advocates for the completion and maintenance of the ODT.
When completed, the trail is expected to traverse almost 130 miles of lowlands — bordered on the south by the Olympic Mountains and on the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca — with its start in Port Townsend and end at the Pacific Ocean.
Donations received during the fundraiser are essential for the purchase of equipment and funding of construction on the trail, Anderson said.
The bulk of the labor is done by volunteers free of charge, he said.
“Almost all of the trail maintenance is either done by Olympic National Park” or Clallam and Jefferson counties, Anderson said.
“Any areas that are not done by those particular utilities are usually done by volunteer labor. We are not paying anybody to go out and cut down trees or take trees out.”
Anderson said he is excited about the event.
“I think it is going to be huge,” he said.
“We expect to have over 400 people at the event. Last year, we had 300 at our inaugural event and about 90 items in our silent auction. We raised $14,000 last year.”
This year, “we’ve had over 140 items donated for the silent auction” and hope to surpass $20,000 in donations, Anderson said.
For more information, visit www.peninsula trailscoalition.org.
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Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at cmcdaniel@ peninsuladailynews.com.
