More than 700 members of the St. Joseph Church and School family attended the parish picnic Oct. 15 at Sandy Creek Park in Athens. The event opened with an outdoor Mass and continued with an enormous picnic lunch. Games for the children, a petting zoo and pony rides also were part of the fun. Members of Athens Council 6514 of the Knights of Columbus grilled 700 hamburgers and 800 hot dogs for the picnic, and hundreds of parishioners brought potluck dishes to share for the afternoon meal. Oct. 15 also was Commitment Sunday for the St. Joseph community’s capital campaign, which is raising funds for a new campus in Athens. The parish has 35 acres under contract along Epps Bridge Parkway, at the Oconee/Clarke County line, and has submitted a request to Athens-Clarke County officials for a special land use permit. The new campus “footprint” includes a church, school, gymnasium/multipurpose building, parish center, athletic fields and parking. The campaign, “Forward in Faith: A Plan for our Future,” has included several receptions for parishioners and will continue through the fall.