More than 100 people attended the second annual Harvest Fair at the Santa Rosa church on Oct. 31. Sponsored by the members of Santa Rosa church, the event raised funds for church ministries and provided safe family fun.

Lori Aguilera, wife of Ron Aguilera, pastor of Santa Rosa church, had a chance to interact with five families from the community who enjoyed the fair and expressed interest in attending church.

“These families have become really interested in attending our church,” said Aguilera. “They commended us for having a fair which provided great outreach to the community and a safe Christian atmosphere on Halloween.”

In addition to reaching out to the surrounding community, the fair raised more than $1,100 from games, food and crafts sales. Three quarters of the money made went to benefit church ministries, Redwood Adventist Academy’s mission trip to Chile and the academy’s “Worthy Student Fund.”

“We sincerely appreciate the support of the Santa Rosa church and all those who supported the harvest fair,” said Leslie Briggs, vice-principal of Redwood Adventist Academy. “The students are really anticipating their mission trip to Chile in March. The students are truly grateful.”

The remainder of the money went to the Redwood Gospel Mission, Santa Rosa’s 41-year-old rescue mission. Because the mission receives no government funding, several members of the Santa Rosa church volunteer there on a regular basis.

The fair provided witnessing materials to attendees. One booth offered free copies of Who Are Seventh-day Adventists, Desire of Ages, Steps to Jesus, Darkness Before Dawn, and the Clear Word version of the Gospel of John.

In the midst of evangelistic efforts was entertainment. Every half hour, emcee Gary Quackenbush drew prizes provided by local business such as B&S Auto Repair and Service, Cal Skate, Cold Stone Creamery, Double Decker Lanes, El Torrito, La Vera Pizza, Rubio’s Baja Grill, Snoopy’s Home Ice, and Yogurt Farms.

Other donations included Jim & Jim’s Yamaha-Suzuki, which donated the use of a Quad four-wheeler to pull the hay wagon for the children, and Larsen’s Feed and Pet Supply Center, which donated hay bales. Ross Pugh lent a 746-pound pumpkin and invited people to guess its weight. A booth also featured “pumpkin bowling,” with 160 games bowled.

Sernading attendees with live Christian music, recording artists Kathy Schallert, Micahel Norton, Gary Huntsman, Steve Lassen and Jeff Quackenbush provided a positive environment.

Both the community and members of the Santa Rosa church appreciated the interaction at the Harvest Fair. “It’s so nice to see the church play together,” said Michelle Gaid, children’s ministry coordinator at the Santa Rosa church.