Join Living Water for community celebration

Members of Living Water Community Church had such a good time hosting the Mid-Summer Celebration in Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park last year, they’ve decided to do it again this year – only bigger and better.

The festivities are scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. A 3-on-3 basketball tournament and a silent auction have been added to the live music, food and carnival games.

The Rev. Steve Farnworth declines to take full credit for the second-annual event. “We’re hosting it, but that doesn’t mean more than we’re part of it.” Two Kiwanis groups have volunteered to dish up the food, and several local businesses are sponsoring the games.

Musical groups scheduled to appear include the Living Water Praise Band, Yetis (classic rock and roll) and the Aaron Richner Band (blues). “The music should be diverse and pretty darn good,” Farnworth said.

Auction items include tickets to Washington State University’s opening football game and stays at local hotels. “There’s even a hand-crafted solid cherry table,” he said. “There’s some pretty good stuff.”

Even though it’s the final hours before the event begins, it may still be possible to register for the basketball tournament. Teams will be accepted until the brackets are full, Farnworth said, even if that doesn’t happen until Sunday morning. “If we have space we’re not going to turn kids away.” And the team that wins the tournament will receive basketballs autographed by members of the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team, which Farnworth calls “way cool.”

Tickets for the carnival games are 50 cents, and each game can be played with one ticket. Food also will have to be purchased, but everything else is free. Everyone involved donates their time so that all money collected goes to a good cause.

The event began last year after the church looked for a fun way to raise money for Habitat for Humanity and Valley Meals on Wheels. The inaugural effort was a success, raising nearly $1,000 for each organization. “Things like this tend to grow,” Farnworth said. “It’s not really our gig. People keep calling.”

It’s also a good way for church members to express their values. “Our goal from the beginning has just been to demonstrate that we’re here to give, not take,” he said. “Our goal has been to create a fun, safe, family-friendly environment where the community can come together and have a great time.”