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Well, I have to say, I have never been to a street party quite like this
one. I remember all the little block parties back in 1970-1972. Those were
the years that got me started with civil rights, women's rights (yes-I
burned my bra!), no more war, 4 dead in OHiO and so on. Of course the
biggest issues at that time were civil rights and the Vietnam war. Back
then, any sort of uprising would bring in the National Guard, weekend
warriors, local police and fire trucks spraying crowds of people with fire
hoses. We could tolerate that. But when the guns came out on innocent
students and protestors and when a black man is dragged by a chain tied to
the back of someone's pickup as it races down the road, that goes beyond
understanding.
This Comfest showed me how a united group of people in this inner city
Columbus community believed in what they were doing and kept at it year
after year until it is one of the most successful community volunteer-ran,
three day street fair that I have ever been in. There was no trouble. People
were happy. The crowd was so thick that they were head-to-head,
shoulder-to-shoulder, filling the roads.
The Stages always had excellent music, great speakers. OPN had its best
speakers get up and shine - and they did. OPN's booth did very well.
Hundreds of dollars and thousands of signatures. I have to say I am so glad
I had the opportunity to attend. I am learning what this part of Ohio has to
offer and I think Columbus IS the best home for OPN. ~ Eleanor Ahrens, OPN Vice President
OPN would like to personally praise and thank our Comfest Heroes:
Brandy Zink: Comfest has become a signature event for Brandy. She knows many
of the organizers and has served as a volunteer for Comfest itself for many
years. Brandy, with all of her organized energy, set up her healing room
directly behind the OPN Booth. Here she was able to serve the many tired and
sore volunteers who worked the Comfest. Her efforts were so superlative that
OPN was the Featured Organization (p.36) in the Summer edition of the
Columbus Free Press.
Neil Perin. What a trooper!! Neil manned the OPN booth most of the three day
span. He had his pitch to the public down and was probably responsible for a
good quarter of our sales and signatures on our sign-up sheets, although the
crowds were at times so thick and enthusiastic that it was never hard to
start conversations about medical marijuana with passers-by.
Michael Miles. Another trooper, Michael also helped man the booth all three
days. He once again proved his knowledge about many aspects of this issue
and, as a result of several informal organizational meetings at Comfest, has
volunteered to spearhead an important upcoming OPN project.
Other volunteers who deserve a heart-felt thank you include Rob Ryan, Mary
Jane Borden, Bob Farley, and Matt Truesdale.
OPN would also like to thank the Comfest organizers, first, for staging a
superlative event and secondly for being so supportive of OPN and our
mission. Comfest has proven over the years to be a powerful force behind
OPN's growth, and we certainly hope that OPN is seen as a positive
contributor to Comfest as well. After all, that's what community is all
about.  Rob Ryan and Neil Perin at OPN's 2007 Comfest booth More Comfest 2007 photos |
