Last month, Buckeye Lake bar-owner Randy Torres was working on an idea to increase winter tourism in his community when an even more pressing cause came along.
“I was talking to a friend of mine, Tracy Pack, who works for the Barrel Bar, about how we needed to have an event in early spring to get people back out in this area before boating season,” said Torres, who co-owns The Boatyard with Randy Coconis and Dave Moran.
“Then, the tragedy at Indian Lake happened.”
On March 14, an EF3 tornado tore through Indian Lake, about 70 miles northwest of Columbus, in Logan County, and Torres’ tourism-boosting dreams promptly took a back seat to helping a fellow lake community.
Buckeye Lake North/West Shore Bar & Bus Hop
That’s how the Buckeye Lake North/West Shore Bar & Bus Hop, a fundraiser for Indian Lake, was conceived. Set for Saturday, April 13, the daylong benefit is to take attendees around Buckeye Lake to 11 of its bars and restaurants. The event’s hours vary depending on each establishment’s operating hours.
The involvement of this community of fewer than 3,000 full-time residents doesn’t end there.
“As soon as I mentioned I was doing the event, the local chamber got involved and people were donating gift certificates. Mayor Linda Goodman is doing everything she can to help out and a resident, Wilbur Robey, donated a field for parking,” Torres said.
“Because we’re so small and everything, so close and close-knit, instead of trying to promote myself and my business, I wanted to include everyone in it. Everyone kicks in around here.”
During the bar hop, several of the businesses are to offer food and drink specials and live music, including a performance by British Invasion, a tribute band playing British rock from the 1960s. Some business are to serve brunch and another is to host karaoke.
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A gift basket of items, such as gift cards, t-shirts, cocktail glasses and a bottle of Woodford Reserve, are to be raffled off. Torres is to announce the winner live on The Boatyard’s Facebook page at approximately 1 p.m. Sunday. Gift-basket items can be seen at atbuckeyelake.com/north-westshorebarhop.
The Ohio Party Bus, which is to provide free shuttle services from noon to midnight, will be accepting donations from passengers to benefit Indian Lake residents.
“A lot of people from Indian Lake come to Buckeye Lake,” Torres said. “And I’m sure that if we had any tragedy, Indian Lake would be right here, stepping in.”
Another raffle is to be held during the Bus & Bar Hop, with proceeds going to the Lydia Dupler Memorial Scholarship Benefit, named for a young Millersport woman who died in a car accident in January.
“Buckeye Lake is definitely a community-oriented, citizen-helping-citizen place,” Torres said.
“It’s not a ‘me, me, me community,’ it’s ‘us, us, us.’”
