The first unofficial political event of the New Year happens Saturday night. The 73rd annual Gillett Coon Supper will be held. Originally held as a party and a hunt for raccoon when it first started, it has evolved into a key political function. Larry Bauer is the treasurer of the Farmers and Businessmen’s Club in Gillett. He says the small southeast Arkansas town of 700 will have about that many people attend the event.
“We take a lot of pride in the event,” said Bauer. “It not only takes the men that are in this club working to put this together, but we have a lot of the community coming together to make it happen. In the past, we would have the football team awards when we had the high school, and we supported girls’ basketball, baseball and other sports. Since we lost the high school, we have turned this into a scholarship program.”
Gillett is located in the very southern part of Arkansas County. It is just south of DeWitt and is about 20 miles north of Dumas. The event is held at the former Gillett High School Auditorium. It was a fundraiser for the high school’s athletic booster club until the high school closed. In 2003, the Gillett School District started to fall under former Governor Mike Huckabee’s legislation that would call for the consolidation of those schools that had fewer than 350 students of enrollment. While the Gillett School District merged with the Humphrey and DeWitt School Districts, the Gillett High School became the smallest public school in Arkansas, and closed in 2009. The Gillett Coon Supper not only draws the town’s locals, but it also attracts politicians in many forms. It has been said to have started the careers of former Governor Mike Beebe, former Congressman Marion Berry, and former Arkansas Governor and then United States President Bill Clinton. It also brings local, state, and national politicians to Gillett. Bower says Marion Berry was instrumental in turning the event into a political gathering.
“Berry was active in supporting politicians, and he started inviting people to his home before the event. He still has a fundraising event at his farm which leads up to the Coon Supper and it helps raise scholarship money for Arkansas State.”
Bauer tells who is expected to show for the event.
“I understand the Governor will be here, as well as Congressman Rick Crawford, Senator John Boozman, and others running for office will be there also. There may also be additional senators that may be here that are coming into the area for Senator Dale Bumpers’ memorial service on Sunday.”
Larry Bauer. Bauer expects comments from Governor Asa Hutchinson and members of Arkansas’ Congressional Delegation. The event starts at 7 o’clock Saturday night, and yes, there will be plenty of coon on the menu…600 pounds of it. Ribs and brisket will also be served.
