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By WILL MORO | Special to the Reporter

CHELSEA – Excitement will return to the heart of Chelsea just before the Thanksgiving holiday as the Hargis Christian Camp recently announced its first-ever Save The Camp Fall Festival Fundraiser.

Scheduled for Nov. 18 from 5-8 p.m. at the field between Chelsea Corners and Winn Dixie, the event will follow the likes of the Big Kaboom and the Bikes 4 Kids Rodeo, promising an evening filled with laughter, food and wholesome entertainment, all while helping raise funds to save the camp.

Hargis Christian Camp, which is run by Aaron and Kellie Knight, is currently paying back $2.5 million over a two-year span to keep the camp alive and is now within $500,000 of paying off that loan by the end of this year within the two-year time frame.

The festival will help continue to raise funds for the camp as they push toward that goal.

“We’ve raised over $2,000,000 on the camp in less than 23 months, and we are trying to run down that last $499,000 before the end of the year,” Knight said.

The fundraiser will see local businesses and organizations from the community converging at the field where the Big Kaboom is held, each one bringing their unique offerings to help make this another special event in Chelsea.

Knight said the goal is for there to be more than 100 vending booths set up with 25 already signing up in the first week. Any business or organization can set up a booth for free.

In addition to the vendor booths, the festival will also feature live entertainment with local musicians Josiah Rodda, Lexi Frederick and Lynnox taking the stage.

Additionally, there will be activities such as face painting, moon bounces and a variety of games and booths for people of all ages to enjoy.

There will also be several food vendors in attendance during the festival with seasonal and year-round food.

Knight said he hopes the event has a significant impact in catering to the community with a fun fall festival, but also for the camp he and his wife continue to fight for.

“The three biggest impacts we have is fostering the community, bringing everyone together and spreading the gospel,” Knight said.