Poetry-A-Thon Reschedued By Appalfolks Of America

CLIFTON FORGE — Appalfolks of America Association has rescheduled its Poetry-A-Thon, cancelled during the summer due to inclement weather, and it will now be held on Saturday, beginning at 5 p.m.
Featuring local poets who are raising funds for CAYA Ministries of Clifton Forge, an outreach of Bishop Alfred “Mustard” Dearing Sr., the host of “Precious Memories Gospel Hour” that is broadcast live on WKEY 103.5 Big Country on Sunday mornings, the Appalfolks’ Poetry-A-Thon is the second to be held.
The first Appalfolks Poetry-A-Thon raised $1,500 for a worthy cause more than a year ago.
Local poets who will be participating will solicit monetary pledges for poems they will read, and after the reading has been held, the poets collect from those who pledge donations in the amount of their choosing for each poem read.
For example, if a poet reads ten poems, and a donor has pledged a dollar per poem read, then the poet would collect $10 from the donor.
Appalfolks would then collect from each poet who reads poems, and the full amount would be donated by Appalfolks to support CAYA Ministries.
M. Ray Allen, president of Appalfolks and author of four volumes of poetry, will conduct the Poetry-A-Thon and serve as one of the poets who will be reading poems.
Appalfolks and the Clifton Forge Public Library co-sponsor the Alleghany Highlands Writers’ Work-shop, but COVID-19 has forced the bi-monthly workshops to be postponed until further notice.
“Since poetry readings are not as well attended as musical concerts, we do not see any problems arising from being over crowded, and the readers on the Buckhorne Stage will be far enough away from the audience that social distancing can be maintained both for the poets who read and the audience in attendance,” Allen said.
Poets who have signed up to read their poems besides Allen are Anmarie Herald, Kathy Clarke, Connie Clark and Dwayne Clark. All are writers who attend the Alleghany Highlands Writers’ Workshop.
Other poets who wish to sign up to participate and solicit donors in order to support CAYA Ministries can do so by calling (540) 862-4502, and Allen will include them in the program as readers. If anyone wishes to help by making a pledge, pledges may be called into the Buckhorne.
“A business or an individual can sign up as a donor by pledging whatever sum per poem that the donor decides to donate per poem read, and the Buckhorne Country Store and Camp-ground will record the names of persons calling in along with the amount of their pledges and telephone numbers so they can be contacted following the Appalfolks’ Poetry-A-Thon,” Allen concluded.
The public is invited, and there are no fees involved to attend.
The Buckhorne Stage and the seating area in front of the stage will allow for 25 in attendance at a time with social distancing being practiced.
Also, those who attend may bring lawn chairs to sit on the grassy area facing the stage for added seating.