Fun day raises money for historic Big Arm School
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BIG ARM — With a new paint job completed, and a new concrete slab and water line installed and finished last week, the historic Big Arm School was ready for a party on July 30.
The Big Arm Family Fun Day brought about 200 people out for barbecued beef brisket and corn on the cob with all the fixings. While folks were eating lunch, they could listen and dance to live music from the Western Aires and also Wilfred Kenmille and Friends.
The kids played old time games of ring toss and baseball throw. Big Arm challenged Polson in the annual water wars. For a small fee, water fight enthusiasts received water guns and buckets of “ammunition” to soak each other with.
According to Paul Maurer, who coordinates the water wars, Big Arm came out the winner, 3 to 1, and received the traveling trophy, a large kettle full of jelly beans.
Maurer said a lot of people turned out for the water wars, maybe the most of any year.
The goal was to provide a fun time for families as well as raise money to restore the historic Big Arm School and transform it into a community center and museum. A 50/50 raffle, bake sale and chances to win a pansy quilt pieced and quilted by Darline Hoyt were available. People wandered throughout the schoolhouse to see the projects completed this year.
Community members were asked to bring historic documents and photographs to be copied as well as stories to be recorded.
Alison Meslin, Big Arm Association, said Jerry Rude brought in a receipt book from a hardware store doing business in Big Arm in 2011. Other people also approached the committee with pictures and items so Meslin said more historical documents may be coming.
As one of the next events, a Big Arm School Hop has been scheduled for Sept. 3.
