Smithville’s Riverbend Park plays host to a unique benefit event this Sunday for soldiers who died fighting for freedom far from home. The Hometown Heroes benefit will feature music and barbecue and it’s all due to the hard work and community spirit of the friends and families of the Smithville area’s fallen soldiers.

“The benefit is for three soldiers who lost their lives fighting the war: Tina Priest, Josh Farris and Cody Stanley,” said Neil Watkins, who worked with Matthew Wobus to organize the event.

“We are attempting to raise money for a scholarship that will be awarded to a Smithville High School graduate, preferably one going into the military,” Watkins said.

The Smithville area has seen the loss of three young soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, starting with U.S. Army Pfc. Tina M. Priest, 20, who died on March 1, 2006, in Taji Iraq while serving with the 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

On July 22, 2009, U.S. Army Spc. Joshua Ray Farris, 22, was killed while serving in Afghanistan with the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

On Oct. 28, 2009, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Cody Stanley, 21, was killed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan while serving with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force.

Watkins knew Farris and Stanley at Smithville High School and he’s been booking bands and generating community support for the event.

“We wanted to do something that would help the town cope with the losses we have had,” Watkins said. “We wanted to give something back to the community. We thought a scholarship would be perfect.”

The Hometown Heroes Benefit will be held at Smithville’s Vernon Richards Riverbend Park on Sunday, March 7 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 a person. Barbecue is $5 a plate and will be served up by Skip Wobus and his barbecue team.

The benefit would not be possible without the musical talent from across Central Texas who will be donating their performances for the event. The public address system, a critical piece for the musical performances, was donated by WCI entertainment.

An acoustic set starts at noon with performances by Jason Marbach and Forest Wayne Allan from San Marcos and Rustin Cleghorn from Smithville.

At 3 p.m., the bands hit the stage starting with the Ben Tyler Johnson Band from Smithville. The Jeremy Miller Band, a Texas touring band from Austin also performs. National touring act Highspeed Hayride from Goliad will headline the benefit.

“I would like to give a very special thanks to everyone that is coming,” Watkins said.