White Night was a perfect combination of friends and fun

A group of friends enjoy a perfect evening of elegance and fun at the White Night event held Saturday, Aug. 5 in Roscoe Village. Pictured are front row: Sue Brems, Jill McCullough and Mike McCullough. Back row: Bob Brems, Mickie Galajda and Ernie Galajda. White Night is a fundraiser for the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum. Jen Jones | Beacon

COSHOCTON – The street in front of the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Roscoe Village was transformed into a sea of white and twinkling lights on Aug. 5 for the annual White Night event. The evening is a fundraiser for the museum.

“The money we get from admittance tickets into the museum only cover about 5 percent of our budget. We need to have fundraisers so we can continue to provide services to the community,” said Patti Malenke, director of the museum. “We’ve been doing this for about five years.” The idea for White Night came from an event a member of the Friends of the Museum attended. About 100 tickets were sold for the event.

Groups of friends came together. Each table decided on their theme and needed to bring decorations to go with their theme. Attendees could purchase wine at the fundraiser, but brought their own food. Some tables dined on fine foods, while others had finger foods. One group even brought a grill for their meal. Themes included Greek Gods and Goddesses and Beauty and the Beast. Tables were elegant and beautiful.

During the evening, each table would have one vote to choose the most elegant and the most creative table. The winners would receive a bottle of wine for their group.

Kristi Timmons, Friends of the Museum Board Member, greeted guests as they arrived. “Everyone is encouraged to wear white and pick whatever theme they like for their table. This is like a picnic – an elegant picnic. The weather is perfect tonight, too. Sometimes, it’s really hot, but tonight is perfect.” Timmons said the fundraiser is a great time to hang out with friends, get dressed up and raise money for the museum.

Mickie and Ernie Galajda were happy to be attending the event again. “We were here for the first few, but then missed a few years because of a family reunion. It’s great to be here with friends,” said Mickie. “The first time we came, I made parmesan chicken for 14 people, plus others brought food, too. This year, we are having a sandwich ring, fruit and other simple things. Keeping it simple. I remember one year we came that a table had a bucket of KFC and I thought they were so smart!” Bob and Sue Brems of Coshocton, and Jill and Mike McCullough of Louisville, Ky., were with the Galajdas.

“We’ve been friends for years,” said Sue Brems. “Jill and Mike wanted to visit and asked if we were planning to come to this tonight, so they sorta came from Louisville just for this.” The McCulloughs are former Coshocton residents.

The evening included dancing and as darkness fell, luminaries were lit. Each guest was given a sparkler to end the event on a bright note.

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