On Saturday, August 17, the community came together to rock the park hill in West Milton. This free event was hosted by Project Revival, a non-profit organization that brings opportunities to the heart of West Milton and boosts business. People flocked to the hill for music, food, and fellowship. Bands Shot of Whiskey and Stranger took the stage. 

A heavy downpour threatened to dampen the party. However, the rich relationships that run deep in West Milton didn’t stand a chance against the weather. Amanda Koch, with The Crafty Village and Bake Shop, estimated 1,000 people to be in attendance. “It was wet, but it was the perfect weather once it dried out.” Along with her mom, Monica Stine, Amanda hosted a booth full of goodies from their bakery shop. “We had brownies, brownie flights, gourmet cookies, giant cookies, chunky cookies, decorated sugar cookies, mini donuts, cookie cakes, cake tins, and cake pops.” 

Nine food trucks, three food tents, along with beer and wine tents popped up to create a successful event. Two jumpy obstacle courses were set up for kids to enjoy at no cost. A plethora of downtown businesses didn’t think twice about contributing to the event to make it free to all, drawing people to town. Soaking wet, Koch made the most of it. 

People sang and danced through the rain, making memories in West Milton. When it launched over five years ago, coming together as a community, rain or shine, is the goal Project Revival had in mind. The team of volunteers consistently hold entertaining and purposeful events throughout the year such as the Third Thursdays and Christmas Parades. 

Rock the Hill was made possible by so many generous local sponsors. Please patronize those who invest in the community: O'Reilly's, West Milton Optical, The Gym of West Milton, Lala Sugarland, ReVive It, Clark's Pizzeria Of West Milton, Patterson's Flowers Inc., The Treasure Chest, Chasteen's IGA, HomeTowne Bakes by the mad baker, Wertz Hardware, New Ethic Barbershop, Tate’s Tasty Treats, Pearson House Restaurant, The Salon on Miami, Village Peddle, Wertz Variety Store, M. Jay Salon, Angel Haven, CynSational Barbers, Old Mason Winery and Vineyard Inc., Napa and Milton-Union Public Library.

Sarah Gregory, with Project Revival, shared other sponsors who contributed and believed in the project's mission: Flawless Signs, CPR, Abbey Credit Union, Premier Health, Duke Foundation, and the Miami County Visitors and Convention Bureau. These main sponsors see what is happening in the small town and want to be part of bringing people together in a big way to help flourish what is already growing.