GREENFIELD — If you’re looking for Jerry Bell, it’s a good bet you’ll find him out at Nameless Creek Youth Camp, Bell’s pet project and home-away-from home. You may catch him raking leaves, stacking firewood or puttering around the lodge kitchen. Today, he’s making lists. Fall That Jazz is just around the corner, and there is still much to do.
Fall That Jazz, the only fundraiser for the Nameless Creek Youth Camp, opens its doors at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1. A $50 ticket is a pass to an evening of your fill of food, dancing, door prizes and jazz in the woodsy setting of the lodge at Nameless Creek.
BBQ’n Fools will be serving up the buffet, while another local eatery — the Lincoln Square Pancake House — will provide a variety of desserts. The Greenfield Beverage Company and the Buck Creek Winery are supplying the drinks.
Posters for the event advise cocktail attire. Bell, president of the Nameless Creek Youth Camp board, isn’t expecting tuxes and ties, but he would the crowd to steer away from holey jeans and t-shirts.
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And who wouldn’t want to dress up a little for the Cool City Band? Featuring New Palestine resident (and Nameless Creek board member) Roy Geesa on keyboards, the 10-piece band will open up the dance floor with Las Vegas-style jazz, pop tunes and old standards with vocals from Troy Thomas Jr. and Laney Wilson.
Additional entertainment will be provided by comedian and magician Don Miller, who will enchant diners with at-your-table tricks and humor.
Guests will have the opportunity to win door prizes, participate in a 50/50 raffle and bid on items at a silent auction that includes items from Miller’s Jewelry and restaurant gift certificates.
Auctioneer Wayne Addison will also be on hand for a live auction. Among the items open for bidding are a restored park bench, custom-made cutting boards and a hall tree, all made by man-of-many talents Roy Geesa. Attendees may also bid on Colts tickets and gift baskets donated by Tri Kappa.
The live auction also features two unusual items. The first is a day at the lodge. The winning bidder will be able to rent the lodge for a day-long event. The prize package includes the services of an event specialist for set-up and decorating. Bell also plans to auction off five-year naming rights for the three cabins and the recreation hall on the Nameless Creek grounds.
Fall That Jazz is in its third year and in the second year of being held in the new lodge that previous Fall That Jazz events helped to build.
“This year’s fundraising goal is $15,000,” Bell said.
No more building is on the immediate horizon, Bell said, but he has his eye on updating, upgrading and maintenance projects.
Among the renovations needed are new picnic tables.
“We need to replace the 1950s and 1960s vintage picnic tables,” Bell said. “We have repaired and repaired and we need to replace them.”
The camp kitchen needs a new in-wall heater and air conditioning unit; the stove in the lodge kitchen needs an exhaust hood and fans.
“We also want to buy round banquet tables to complement our set-up for more elegant events,” Bell added.
Bell’s vision for the camp, which was established more than 60 years ago by Tubby Toms, is to extend the life of the camp for another 60 years and beyond with fundraisers like Fall That Jazz.
“It’s not how much money we have in the community,” Bell said, “it’s the kind of community we want. It’s the kind of people and activities we have in the community. Nameless Creek Camp offers a tremendous opportunity to build that community.”
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What: Fall That Jazz
Where: Nameless Creek Youth Camp, 2675 S. County Road 600 E., Greenfield
When: November 1; doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Other: $50 tickets available at eventbrite.com, search Fall That Jazz
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