Mustard Seed Garden concert, ice cream contest, to benefit Backpack Program

The entrance to the Mustard Seed Community Garden at First Baptist Church in Corbin.

Pull out your ice cream makers and pack up the lawn chairs because First Baptist Church of Corbin is hosting a “Concert in the Garden,” featuring a homemade ice cream making contest.

This event was created in an effort to benefit the Corbin Community Backpack Program. While admission to the event is free, an offering will be taken and all proceeds will be donated to the program.

“I am extremely excited about this event, as I believe it to be a wonderful opportunity for our church to demonstrate our deep desire to serve the greater Corbin community,” said pastor of the church, Austin Carty.

The concert will take place August 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mustard Seed Garden at First Baptist Church on North Laurel Avenue.

The live musical performances will be provided by Virgil Bowlin and Peerless Mountain and the church’s own, Spencer Lawson and The Pine Mountain Polecats.

Virgil Bowlin and Peerless Mountain is a bluegrass band that developed in the hills of Appalachia with material stemming from old bluegrass favorites to their own original works.

Spencer Lawson and his family are members of the First Baptist Church of Corbin. His band, The Pine Mountain Polecats, is a relatively you bluegrass gospel band. The members, Jonathan Rickett, Garrett Carter and Levi Dotson are only 19 years old. Spencer is the youngest at 17.

They began playing together while in school in 2014, Spencer joined about a year later. Jonathan said they thought it would be fun to come together and play as a group.

“We all wanted to play in church, so playing together seemed like a really good idea,” said Jonathan.

The Pine Mountain Polecats will open the evening with Virgil and Peerless Mountain to follow soon after.

Carty said that though they don’t have a specific prize for the ice cream contest at the moment, they are working to put something together.

Judging the ice cream contest will be State Representative Regina Bunch, Mayor Willard McBurney and Corbin Independent Superintendent David Cox.

“If there is anyone who is interested in participating in the ice cream competition, they can. It is not just for members of the church. All are welcome,” said Carty.

This is the first year that the church is hosting this event, however Carty hopes it will become annual. The idea originated within the garden committee in an effort to bring the community together while also contributing to a good cause.

The backpack program is dedicated to providing food for children who are in need. The way it works is by the family resource coordinator within the school system determining what students are eligible for the backpacks. The backpacks are then distributed to the children by school personnel on Friday afternoons. Within the backpack is enough food for the child to eat over the weekends in the event that they do not have enough food at home to eat.

The backpack program is something that is instituted in Knox and Whitley County school systems, as well as Corbin Independent. Several students utilized this program for their weekend meals.

“Last year our number of students enrolled was 780. That’s 780 kids to feed per week,” said Doris Moore, Board Chair of the Backpack Program.

With a program of this size, it can become expensive to operate.

Moore said that they operate primarily on donations, though they do receive a few small grants. Donations come from businesses, churches, civic organizations, individuals and most of all, fundraisers.

This is why Moore said she is very grateful for this fundraiser being held by the church.

For more information about the event, to make a donation or if you are interested in competing in the ice-cream competition, please call First Baptist Church of Corbin at 606-526-4738 or visit their website corbinfrc.org.