The annual Fountain Hills Republican Club’s Annual Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21, from noon to 2 p.m.,

Open to the public, the picnic will feature several candidates who will provide brief statements for those in attendance.

The FHRC Annual Picnic was begun in the mid-1990s under Chris Brant when he was president of the club.

“We would all drive out to McDowell Mountain Park and use the local grills bringing everything else with us,” Brant said, a current FHRC board member. “Later on, the picnic became an indoor fixture. I ‘volunteered’ for the job as chair of the Picnic Committee when I suggested we return the picnic to an outside event about five years ago and suggested it was time for a little fresh air.”

Boe James is another board member and program chairman who recalled a similar scenario.

“For the last several years we have held it in Golden Eagle Park,” James said. “Two years ago, we allowed candidates to have tents and tables and we had so many candidates that it was hard to fit them all in.”

Republican Club members do all the work: set up, clean up, prepare and serve wonderful picnic food, FHRC spokesperson Nancy Plencner said. “Meal tickets are $17, speeches are free!”

So far attending this Saturday’s event are Republican candidates and officeholders, including Fountain Hills potential mayoral candidates, Joe Arpaio and Town Councilman Gerry Friedel; potential Town Council candidates Matt Corrigan and Gayle Earle; potential sheriff candidates Mike Crawford and Jerry Sheridan; state representatives, Joseph Chaplik and Alex Kolodin; State Senator John Kavanagh; Fountain Hills Town Council members Brenda Kalivianakis and Hannah Toth; Fountain Hills School board member Madicyn Reid; County Assessor Eddie Cook; potential candidate for County Superintendent of Schools Nickie Kelley; Justice of the Peace Michele Reagan; U.S. Representative David Schweikert; potential county supervisor candidate Michelle Ugenti-Rita and potential U.S. Senate candidate Brian Wright.

For more information about the Fountain Hills Republican Club, visit fountainhillsrepublicanclub.com.