Tommy Wooten helps prepare the chicken salad plates for their annual Bach Lunch fundraiser.

Tommy Wooten helps prepare the chicken salad plates for their annual Bach Lunch fundraiser.

<p>The Anson County band Knights of the Museum performed live music during the Bach Lunch.</p>

The Anson County band Knights of the Museum performed live music during the Bach Lunch.

<p>Knights at the Museum is made up of Jimmie Rushing on upright bass, Scott Dry on banjo, Tim Knopp on mandolin, with Joe Dutton and Stan Harbard on guitar.</p>

Knights at the Museum is made up of Jimmie Rushing on upright bass, Scott Dry on banjo, Tim Knopp on mandolin, with Joe Dutton and Stan Harbard on guitar.

WADESBORO- The Anson County Arts Council (ACAC) sold out of chicken salad plates during their first Bach Lunch of the season on Wednesday, June 17.

The Bach Lunch is a fundraiser that the ACAC hosts on the third Wednesday of June, July, and August. The lunch includes chicken salad and a drink, and the funds collected during these events go to support ACAC programs, such as art classes and workshops.

The Bach Lunches are run much differently this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lunches are prepared by ACAC members and volunteers who then bring them outside to customers’ vehicles.

Reservations for these plates started a month ago, and 100 plates were reserved. A total of 120 plates were sold.

“It was our first time doing that kind of thing,” said Tommy Wooten, Artistic Director at Ansonia Theatre. “We knocked it out of the park. Folks were happy, we got a great response.

“Beth Traywick really deserves a lot of props for that. She pulled that together with the help of our team, but she was a star.”

Traywick is the current president of the ACAC. Other volunteers Wooten credited included Leslie Cappel, Raoul Boothby, Betsie Watts, as well as youth volunteers Charley Williamson, Grayson Helms, and Braeden Cappel.

“They did all the running back and forth,” said Wooten.

Live music for the event was provided by Joe Dutton and the Knights at the Museum, who played on the sidewalk directly in front of the Ansonia Theatre as the ACAC prepared the plates next door inside the Drake Gallery.

“They were incredible,” Wooten said. “They’re a great band that plays around town at events. I saw that people would pick up their plates and then pull around to listen tot them play for a little while.”

In addition to the Bach Lunches, Wooten also organized a fundraiser on Facebook that just finished.

“You know, three shows now out of the season went undone because we had to shut-down amid COVID-19,” explained Wooten.

“These shows are our bread and butter, as far as income,” he added. “We were watching stuff slip away so I started the fundraiser. I never thought it would happen, but I put $10,000 as the goal for the fundraiser. Over the course of 15 days, 160 plus people gave and we made over $12,000 and we’re still getting checks in.”

People have also been donating to the ACAC via the Amazon Smiles program.

“Somebody suggested it to me, I didn’t even know about it,” Wooten said. “On Amazon, a person can select a nonprofit and a portion of every shipment will go to that charity. Several people have named the Arts Council. It’s a really awesome way to give without taking anything out of your pocket that you wouldn’t be paying for anyway.”

The ACAC’s annual sponsorship campaign will start on July 1. These donations received from this campaign keep the Ansonia running year-round.

Upcoming shows at the Ansonia include Steel Magnolias, which will be performed from Oct. 9 until Oct. 18. For Christmas, the Ansonia is hosting a comedy called Fruitcake from December 11 until Dec. 20. Fruitcake will be followed up by the musical Spitfire Grill, which will be performed from March 5 until March 14, 2021. Prelude to a Kiss is the next show, and it will be performed from May 14 until May 23, 2021. The last show of the upcoming season is the musical Once on this Island, and that will be performed from August 5 until August 15.

To make reservations for upcoming Bach Lunches, call 704-634-4950.