In a month, people in the Schoharie Valley will come together for a celebration. It's to mark the community's 300th anniversary. Our Beth Croughan has more on the meaning behind the three-day event.

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SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- It was 1712 when the German Palatine's settled in the Schoharie Valley, according to life-long resident Richard Sherman. And during the Revolutionary War, he said the communities came under fire.

"They could have just abandoned this area. And they just refused and stayed despite vicious raid after vicious raid," said Sherman.

Fast forward a few hundred years and the people living there now experienced their own version of devastating events. The end of this month will mark one year since Tropical Storm Irene tore through the town.

And this September, the community will come together for the 300th Anniversary of the settlement of the Schoharie Valley.

"We want the people of Schoharie to have something to celebrate. A reason to celebrate," said Darlene Patterson, the President of the Schoharie Promotional Association and Co-Chair of the 300th Anniversary Celebration Committee.

"300 Celebration is all about survival. And it's all about people helping people," said Village Mayor John Borst.

The Mayor said at first he didn't want the focus to be on the floods, but soon realized it's the resilience of the people here in the Schoharie Valley that is highlighted in the history books.

"A strong population here. And we're all survivors. And we're going to do just fine," he said.

And organizers want people from across the region to come and see for themselves. But, they are still looking for donations to help spread the word.

"Our businesses are struggling to get on their feet. And it's not something that we want to ask them to contribute towards. Or our residents, we know that they need what funds they have," said Patterson.

But it's because of those businesses, and those people, that the Valley looks forward to another 300 years.

"We have a community full of folks here that just aren't willing to give up," said Sherman, the Chair of the 300ths Anniversary Celebration Committee.

The Schoharie 300 Celebration is being held the weekend of September 7.
To learn more or to find out how you can help, visit www.schohariepromo.org.