The Smithville Community Gardens will host its second annual fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 11, starting at 6:30 p.m. It’s a special occasion and celebration for the group and the many accomplishments they have made this past year, but it’s also an opportunity for citizens to show support for this successful community-oriented, non-profit group that helps families throughout the area.

“This is a community effort and without the support of everyone, we would not have been able to make it happen,” said Municipal Judge Ronald Jones, a founder and current president of the Smithville Community Gardens. “Best of all, community cooperation has brought together many different people who have gladly donated their time and effort and are helping make this project a success.”

The organization has grown from its original idea, which came from a conversation between retired municipal Judge Clarence Culberson and his replacement, Judge Jones.

“We decided we should do something for the community, something that would benefit everyone in town,” Jones said. “We came up with this idea to put up a garden where people could come and get vegetables and it would be free. If you have the need, come and get what you need.”

Things have grown considerably since the first garden and the group is currently providing free, organically- grown food from three gardens from yields harvested during three growing seasons. The group has also planted fruit trees at two of the garden locations.

Smithville Community Gardens is also active in Smithville schools, working with first and second graders at Brown Primary School, helping them to plant an assortment of vegetables as well as hosting a salad party where 240 students learned to make a salad dressing to compliment their garden-grown salads.

“One of the best parts of the community gardens outreach is through our schools,” said Troy Streuer, treasurer for Smithville Community Gardens. “We take students from Brown Primary to the garden that’s located behind their school. We not only teach them that eating these types of foods is healthy, but it can also be fun.”

The group has recently acquired land at the corner of Hwy 95 South and MLK Boulevard. through the combined efforts of the Bastrop County commissioners, the city of Smithville and Smithville Independent School District.

The Community Gardens organization has big plans for the property and is working with the city to apply for grant funding to build a structure to house a kitchen, classrooms and extended space for the Smithville Food Pantry.

“The property on Hwy 95 is an opportunity for the community gardens but also for the city,” Jones said. “There is an opportunity for new activity and businesses along the highway and out to the high school.”

The second annual Community Gardens fundraiser will include a dinner catered by chef John Chabot, musical entertainment from the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church Choir and dinner music provided by Jonathan Joiner.

The event features a drawing, which will include donations from community businesses and homemade “goodies” from area gardens. A drawing will also be held for a complimentary night at the Hyatt Resort and Spa.

Tickets for the event are $25 and are available at city hall, the chamber of commerce and all Smithville banks.

“We have become a full scale organization with a board of directors and a tremendous group of volunteers,” Jones said. “This has taken off like wildfire from just a little idea and its now become an effort that has reached across the community to involve individuals and groups from across the county.”