LOXLEY, Ala. — The 2009 edition of the Baldwin County Strawberry Festival is about two months away. The organizing committee is making plans, and if all goes well, the festival, held in the Loxley Municipal Park, just off Highway 59, April 11 and 12 should be bigger and better than ever.

Fans of delicious strawberries, get ready to dig in.

There’s just one problem. There’s a need for volunteers on Sunday, April 12.

“We’re short about 56 volunteers for Sunday,” said De Ann Ramey, the principal of Loxley Elementary, and a member of the festival organizing committee.

“The festival does not happen without them,” said Ramey, speaking of the volunteers. Volunteers do everything from selling strawberry flats and serving soft drinks to making and serving the strawberry shortcakes that bring visitors from far and wide to Loxley.

A check of the calendar shows the reason why. April 12 is Easter this year.

“The festival is always the second full weekend of April,” explained Ramey.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. Ramey can recall another Easter weekend for the festival.

“That was a record year for us,” said Ramey.

While Ramey understands that it is important for people to attend church on that day, she and other volunteers attend a “sunrise” service or an early morning service at their churches before heading to the festival which opens at 9 a.m. The festival goes to 5 p.m. that day according to the festival Web site, baldwincountystrawberryfestival.org. Volunteers receive a staff t-shirt.

“People should call 964-5334 to volunteer,” said Ramey. Volunteers sign up for 3 and one-half hour shifts, said Ramey. There is a need for some volunteers on Saturday but that day is almost full.

“People should have a heart for children,” said Ramey. “They are helping people. They are helping the ARCBC, which helps mentally challenged adults, and they are helping the kids at Loxley Elementary School.”

“It’s usually a very good day for us,” Ramey said of Easter. “People have had their relatives over since Thursday, and are looking for something to do.”

It also does not hurt that Baldwin County Public Schools will be off that week, and that other area schools are also beginning “spring break,” meaning that there will a steady stream of cars heading south to the beach on Hwy. 59 past the festival. It’s a good chance for visitors to stop, enjoy some strawberries, catch some entertainment and pick up something unique from one of the more than 160 vendors at the festival before getting to their destination. It’s also a chance to do some good while on vacation.

Loxley Elementary School and the ARC of Baldwin County. share the proceeds from the festival. Festival money pays for things that might not be in the budget . Because the fest is outdoors, both groups are aware that funds might be less one year to another.

It’s important. Ramey says that “strawberry money” has paid for things like the refurbishment of a playground, and the school has used the funds to buy computers and air condition the multipurpose building.

Ramey added that the school has a number of committees that propose ways to use the festival money. That way, all needs, from that of the custodians to those of individual teachers and the whole school can be considered.

The ARCBC has used its share of the proceeds to open new residential homes and to purchase vans used at these homes.

The festival has grown and flourished since to school and ARCBC joined forces 22 years ago to have a festival. But, festival organizers say that the event would not have grown to regional status without the use of the park.

“The town council and mayor of Loxley have been amazingly generous allowing us to use the park,” said Ramey.