By SCOTT BAUGHMANLedger Staff Writerscottb@gaffneyledger.com

Joey Turner and the staff at Restoration Church in Gaffney hope the city is looking to celebrate Independence Day in a big way. And they want to be a part of it.

“It’s going to be huge,” Turner said as he made plans for the fireworks and other attractions. “It all gets started on July 3 at 6 p.m. We’re going to have rides for the kids, inflatible attractions and a giant 18-foot slide.”

Billed as Cherokee County’s Community Celebration of Independence, the carnival isn’t the first time the church has held large events to reach out to the community. Meeting in the former Lowe’s store on Highway 18, Restoration Church has made a name for itself by hosting these gatherings.

“We’re still amazed at how many people came to our Easter egg hunt this year,” Turner said. “It must have been close to a thousand people, maybe more. Our hope is that the Fourth of July event will have the same kind of response.”

And to help drive the crowds, Turner hopes he’s tapped into some of the more successful parts of past outings. “Children, and adults, will be able to get unlimited rides on all the attractions by purchasing a $3 arm band,” he said. “And we’ll be selling traditional holiday food as well - things like hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and barbecue. But to really get people’s attention, so we can get our message out there, we’re also going to have live music on stage. Of course, some of our own church members and our band will perform, but we’ve also brought in a very talented young man who calls himself ‘Checkerz’ and does Christian rap music. You have to hear it to believe it, but he is so dynamic and really keeps the attention of not only the kids but the adults in the crowd, too.”

A raffle completes the attractions at the celebration, with prizes ranging from a Nintendo GameCube, to a microwave oven, to $500 in cash.

And Turner hasn’t let recent Supreme Court decisions deter him from the outreach program. “First of all, I think this celebration speaks to the freedom we have in this country to worship as we see fit,” he said. “We thank God for this blessing and we honor our service men and women who are fighting around the world to protect that freedom. And we want to thank the Lord for that spiritual freedom he’s given us by breaking the bondage of sin.”