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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (June 21, 2002) — Milligan College and WCQR will partner Saturday, September 7, to host SONFEST, a community festival and back-to-school event held on the Milligan campus for local families, youth groups and students. Participants are asked to bring a donation for Good Samaritan Ministries.
The event will feature live music, inflatable attractions, ministry exhibits, food and a WCQR live remote. Following the afternoon activities, an evening prayer and worship service will take place in Seeger Memorial Chapel.
SONFEST is open to the community. There is no admission charge but donations of cash or school supplies for Good Samaritan are encouraged. Good Samaritan Ministries is a non-profit ministry that provides immediate help and develops long-term solutions for the homeless and low-income families in the six counties of Northeast Tennessee.
“We are always short on school supplies for the families we serve, and the back-to-school time only makes that shortage worse,” said Sarah Wells, director of Good Samaritan.
In addition to taking donations at the door, Milligan and WCQR have challenged local youth groups to compete in the Youth Challenge, a fundraiser for Good Samaritan. Youth Challenge will present area youth an opportunity to solicit pledges based upon the number of points their group receives. Points will be awarded for games and contests during SONFEST. Area youth will be recognized at SONFEST in the following categories: the group that raised the most funds, the greatest amount raised per group member, and the individual who raised the most support for families in need.
SONFEST is expected to be the largest community event in recent history on the Milligan campus. The college expects to welcome more than 2,000 guests to this back-to-school event.
“We are committed to connecting Christians in the region with ministries that meet the needs around us, so we are inviting area ministries to set up their displays so they can encourage visitors to volunteer their time and talents to join these worthy causes,” said Joe Wise, director of development at Milligan and director of the SONFEST event.
“The goal of SONFEST is to provide a significant opportunity for afternoon entertainment and an evening of spiritual renewal, while preparing Christians to return to work and school to bear the Son’s light,” said Mike Perry, general manager at WCQR.
SONFEST also marks the launch of the Youth In Ministry (YiM) program at Milligan. YiM is a partnership of Milligan College and Emmanuel School of Religion. It is designed to encourage teens to explore more deeply the roots of their Christian faith, to examine their vocational aspirations and to consider a career in Christian ministry.
For more information about SONFEST, please contact Joe Wise, director of development, at 423-461-8708.