16th annual Beast Feast saw fun had by all

The Muskogee Civic Center was abuzz with excitement Saturday night when men and boys of all ages were gathered together for the 16th annual Beast Feast put on by the New Community Church.

“I never imagined 16 years ago, when we had our first event with about 200 or so attendees, that God would grow it to what we have now,” event planner Brian Lanham said.

With more than 1,000 door prizes given away this year’s crowd, estimated to be more than 2,500, were all fed in 22 minutes.

“More importantly, we had 336 men and boys who indicated they were committing their lives to Christ, which is unbelievable,” Lanham said.

The powerful testimony given by Edmond guest speaker Brad Clay, creator of the popular faith-based television show “Final Descent Outdoors,” connected with the crowd throughout the evening. The show airs on Pursuit Channel.

The grand-prize winner was Steven Redfern of Oakhurst. He won a Quiet Kat Ranger bike, a Ruger 308, ammo, binoculars, range finder, backpack and knives.

The youth grand prize was Tommy Edwards of Fort Gibson. He won a lifetime hunting and fishing license and a Rossi 22.

“None of this would be possible without a tremendous team of over 60 volunteers, making everything happen the night of the event along with many community partners that help support us with prizes and finances,” Lanham said. “The Lord reminded us this year that many people are struggling and fighting many kinds of battles in life, and our hope and prayer was that we could offer them hope and a path forward through Jesus. I think He showed up in a big way.”

The drive home gave me time to reflect back on the evening. Having seen many old friends, I cherished this time of camaraderie.

For all the wrong in the world today, attending an event like this gives a person hope for the future.

John Kilgore is the former Greenleaf State Park manager. He can be reached by emailing him at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com.