By Samantha SLAYBACK

Friends and supporters of local Boy Scouts came out on Saturday for a night of tacos and tomfoolery. The taco dinner was held as a fundraiser for Boy Scout Troop 288 at St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church. The open space beneath the trees made for shaded dining that was both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

The taco dinner is the second fundraiser the Boy Scouts host each year, the first being their pancake breakfast. These fundraisers help the troops purchase new gear and help the boys pay for their various trips.

“Each Boy Scout has to sell five tickets,” explained Assistant Scout Manager Gabriel Ynda. “After the first five tickets [are sold], the rest of the money raised goes into their own accounts.” Ynda further explained that this is a “great way” to help out those Boy Scouts who need a little bit of help meeting their scouting needs.

Tables were set up outside of the church near the playground area, giving adults the chance to sit and talk and kids the opportunity to play safely nearby. An assembly line service was available for piling tacos high with whatever toppings guests desired. From beans to meat, lettuce to sour cream, guacamole to salsa – these Boy Scouts had it all!

Ynda’s wife Vanessa explained that without the generous donations and discounts from Cordon’s Market and Harmony Farms, they wouldn’t have been able to be so prepared with the fresh ingredients. She added that thanks were extended to St. Luke’s of the Mountains church for its generosity in the use of its facilities.

She also praised the Boy Scouts.

“They all step up and help with clean up,” Ynda said. Girls from the co-ed Venture Crew were also there to volunteer with the dinner. “We have wonderful parents and Scouts to help us out.”

While this dinner may have been to raise money for Troop 288, it, along with the other troops in the area, continually help out in the community. They hold many food drives throughout the year, but the biggest one always falls right before Thanksgiving. All Boy Scouts participate and food is donated to local food bank Sue’s Garden so that everyone has a chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner.

  Samantha SLAYBACK