By By Kerry Whipple Bean – publisher
As work begins on one of the first major additions to Burnt Corn Creek Park, organizers of a major improvement plan are looking for corporate and individual sponsors to help pay for the next round of work.
Corporate sponsors will help fund the Brewton Music Festival in March - headlined by the Oak Ridge Boys and native son William Lee Golden, said Carol Gordy, chairman of the Brewton Quality of Life Committee.
The committee announced plans more than a year ago for major improvements to the park, including a skate park, splashpad, bandstand and other outdoor activities. The city has also received a $500,000 grant to pay for the extension of a walking trail at the park to O'Bannon Park.
But the city will not have to spend any money on the rest of the improvements - that funding is coming from concert proceeds and from donors, Gordy said.
Dirt work has already begun on the skate park, which will be about 35 feet by 70 feet, Gordy said. It could be expanded in the future. Families have already expressed an interest in that area of the park, she said.
The Quality of Life Committee is also working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine how high the bandstand can be in the park. With those discussions ongoing, the next project to be undertaken would likely be the splashpad, which Gordy hopes could be ready by summer.
But key to all of the projects are donations. Gordy was happy with the support for the Brewton Songwriters Festival last year - the first of the concerts designed to raise money for the park. But she wants to see even more participation from area businesses and individuals this year.
In addition to the Oak Ridge Boys, Robert Earl Keen will co-headline the March 8 concert. Grayson Capps - who has ties to Brewton - and his band the Stumpknockers and Chris Golden, William Lee's son, will also perform.
With gates opening at noon at Burnt Corn Creek Park for the festival and at least 5,000 expected for the concert, Gordy said Brewton businesses can expect to reap economic benefits from the event.
Performances will begin at 4 p.m. and last until 9:30 that night. Tickets are $25, and children age 6 and under will receive free admission with a paying adult.
Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or at NDI's Cracked Pot and George's Barbecue.
Levels of corporate donation for the project include plaque acknowledgements and VIP tickets to the music festival.
Levels include: