The annual Friends of the Plains dinner will be a virtual event this year with entertainment by local musician Joe Foster.
The annual dinner and fundraising event was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic. The 2021 event is scheduled to live stream from the ESU Memorial Union at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 23. The Friends of the Plains was founded in 1982 to support the mission and goals of the Center for Great Plains Studies at Emporia State University.
Max McCoy, director of the Center for Great Plains Studies, will give the State of the Plains address during the virtual event.
“The pandemic has recalled for us the 1918 influenza crisis,” McCoy said. “Now, as then, we’re wearing masks, social distancing and mourning those lost to the disease. While looking forward to a return to normalcy, we must not miss an opportunity to make our normal better. We must explore ways to make our Plains communities more inclusive. The history of the Plains is a living history, written in blood and sweat and dreams of all who live here. We must move forward, together.”
The virtual event will be live streamed via Zoom. Guests will enjoy a sampler box of local items delivered prior to the event. Sampler selections include mini bread loaves from Chad the Bread Man at Vault Meats and Cheeses, chocolate from Sweet Granada, and coffee from Granada Coffee Company. Participants will also receive a Tallgrass Writing Workshop field journal.
Local Emporia musician, singer-songwriter Joe Foster, will entertain guests. Foster has recorded multiple albums and toured throughout the United States. Joe writes honest songs that reflect Midwest life and culture; songs of hope, dreams, and failures of life.
Reservations for the event can be made online at www.emporia.edu/cgps and choosing Friends of the Plains link. The reservation includes an event link, one sampler box and a one-year subscription to Great Plains Traverse magazine. Additional sampler boxes and/or magazine subscriptions are available, as well. The event costs $75 with a portion of the proceeds going to support the Center. Charitable gift receipts will be automatically sent to guests.
For additional information and questions please contact the Center at cgps@emporia.edu or by calling 620-341-5574.