Haven King, the Perry County clerk, had the crowd Saturday at the Halfway to Hazard event chanting “Our coal, our mountains, our children.” Sarah
Goddard, center, takes pictures of the ATV parade through Buckhorn, Ky., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. Goddard, a member of the unofficial Halfway to Hazard fan club, the Daisies, drove 1,400 miles to attend The Halfway to Hazard Charity Trail Ride and concert, benefiting the nearby Buckhorn Children’s Center, in Crockettsville, Ky., Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23, 2009. Photo by Dori Hjalmarson CROCKETTSVILLE — Just from the looks of things, the Halfway to Hazard Charity Trail Ride and concert might have doubled in size since last year. Organized by homegrown country duo Chad Warrix and David Tolliver — Halfway to Hazard — the now-annual event benefits the Buckhorn Children’s Center, a foster care services agency that serves about 600 children and their families. Last year’s concert raised $100,000. “It’s a real shot in the arm for us,” said Bill Owens, president of the agency. Big names were a big draw this year: Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley performed and were made Kentucky Colonels, and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo announced that the governor had declared Saturday and Sunday “Halfway to Hazard days.” The other big draw were the two local boys who made it big.
Tonya Neace’s husband went to high school with Warrix in Jackson, and the Neaces’ kids, ages 3 and up, know all the words to all the songs, and they know where Halfway to Hazard comes from.