Micah Watson Band and Burley Maple to Headline 2008 CROP Music Fest

A trio from Charlottesville and a quartet from Hampton are set to headline the 2008 CROP Music Fest, which will take place on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Ridgeview Park Amphitheater.

The former is Burley Maple - Jim Beeman on rhythm guitar, Rich Gordon on bass and lead guitar, and Amber Menemsha on vocals and piano - who perform an original eclectic blend of folk, jazz, blues, and more that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The latter is Micah Watson Band - Joe Blount on bass, Steve Day on guitar, Jason Gardner on drums, and namesake Micah Watson on lead vocals and rhythm - who create praise songs that evoke the classic psalms of the Bible with a post-modern edge, all while serving as the song and worship leaders for Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton.

You can find out more about both groups and listen to song clips at their web sites, respectively: http://www.burleymaple.com/ and http://www.micahwatsonband.com/.

A third ensemble - SideTracked - which includes steering committee member, Pastor Randy Lohr - will open up the Fest and get things started with a sampler of classic finger-snapping, thought-provoking pop songs.

In addition to the great music there will be opportunities to hear from the local agencies that our Walk supports as well as from our regional director, John Javed, from Richmond, about the work that CWS is doing right now around the globe. Materials and information for this year's Walk will be distributed.

So pack a picnic, invite some friends, and make your way to the Park on the 23rd to help kick off the CROP Walk season with the right "foot"!

Steering Committee Begins Work on 2008 Walk

The steering committee for the 2008 Crop Hunger Walk has held its first set of meetings this spring to begin pulling together the necessary details and personnel for another successful event. This year's committee will include Jan Tobias (co-chair), Randy Lohr (co-chair), Linda Thompson (treasurer), Marty Siebken, Adam Siebken, Bill and Peggy Garvey, Glen Holman, and Vicki Williams....so far! We are always looking for new members with fresh energy and ideas to join the committee and help keep it a vital, vibrant, viable event for our community and its churches. You can contact any one of us for more information and for the dates of upcoming meetings. Come be a part of making this year's Crop Hunger Walk the most exciting one yet!