A Million Dollars of Kindness: The Story of Oser-Roth & Friends Fest
- SEI Times Staff
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Story submitted by Chris Oser
What started as a backyard party has become one of southeastern Indiana's biggest acts of generosity.
Some of the best things start by accident.
In the fall of 2009, the Oser and Roth families were camping together at Woody's Farm when Cindy and Dan got to talking about the Oser family's annual summer party. Affectionately known as Oser Fest, the gathering had grown so big it had outgrown the family's home. Cindy wondered aloud whether Dwight "Woody" Bucher might be willing to rent out the farm so the party could keep growing. Dan had a better idea: the two families shared so many mutual friends, why not throw it together? And just like that, Oser-Roth Fest was born.
But the story was about to become something much bigger than a party.
The gift that started it all
While planning that first Oser-Roth Fest, the families heard about Blake Kamstra, a local child battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His story stayed with them. They started wondering if there might be some way to help, though nothing had been decided yet.
Then one day, Dan happened to share Blake's story with a client and friend named Charlie. Charlie didn't hesitate. He stood up, opened his wallet, pulled out a $100 bill, and said, "Give this to Blake."
That single gesture lit a spark. Moved, Dan called Cindy and floated an idea: what if they sold T-shirts at the party and raised a little more for Blake? That year, they raised more than $5,000.
A $100 bill had become a movement.
Nearly $1 million, 83 children, and counting
Over the past 16 years, Oser-Roth & Friends Fest has raised nearly $1 million to support 83 children and their families. What began as one act of generosity at a campsite has become a yearly tradition that the whole community rallies around, all to lift up local kids and families facing the hardest seasons of their lives.
A new home for year 17
This year marks the 17th annual event, and for the first time, it won't be held at Bucher's Farm. The farm has been a beloved home for the festival for well over a decade, but preparing the property each year has become increasingly demanding. Wanting to make sure the event could thrive both now and for years to come, organizers began searching for a new location after last year's festival and landed on the Lawrenceburg Fairgrounds.
The 2026 event takes place Saturday, August 8, from noon to midnight. Guests can look forward to live music all day long, an inflatable play area, games for the kids, and food served throughout the event. There will be plenty of ways to give back, too, including split-the-pot drawings, basket raffles, silent auctions, and more. The day wraps up with a fireworks display presented by Yokum Fireworks and The Flight Line Drones.
More information is available at oserrothfest.com.
Meet this year's Angels
The event's beneficiaries are known, fittingly, as "Angels." Each January, recipients are chosen from a pool of submitted candidates. Most years, six children are selected; this year, organizers chose four, given the uncertainty that came with the venue change.
This year's Angels are:
Dominic Francis, a 16-year-old sophomore at Oak Hills High School
Eli Massie-Cable, a 5-year-old preschool student at Three Rivers Elementary School
Tristen Nimitz, a 5-year-old preschool student at Three Rivers Elementary School
Abby Ruter, a 4-year-old who attends the Kelly O'Leary Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Seventeen years after a camping-trip conversation and a stranger's $100 bill, Oser-Roth & Friends Fest is still doing exactly what it set out to do: turning a good time among friends into real hope for the families who need it most.
See you on August 8 at the Lawrenceburg Fairgrounds.
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