The countdown is on for this Friday's T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already) party rally that is being held in downtown DeRidder at the Farmer's Market Pavilion.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 3, community members are encouraged to gather together at the pavilion and have their unified voices heard in honor of Independence Day.

"We have put a lot of effort into the planning of this rally and we are hoping for a great crowd," says Jane Butler who has been helping plan the rally since this past April when the very first T.E.A. rally was held in front of DeRidder's City Hall. Despite the short notice given to many about the rally and the noontime hour at which it was held, over 350 concerned parish residents attended the event, and Butler says that the organizers hope that even more can attend Friday's rally.

"We are expecting a larger crowd for this rally," she says, "many people have been showing an interest in attending."

While hopes are high that a few local and state politicians will be attending the event, Butler explains that the focus will not be on the politicians but the parish residents. "This is our time to be heard and we want our leaders to know how we feel about the issues that matter to us so that they know how to vote," says Butler.

Butler has been helping Thomas Verzwyvelt and his wife, Sandra, plan the July rally since the day after April's Tax Day T.E.A. party, and she says that the trio have spent a lot of time planning on how to provide as much information to the crowd as possible.

"We will be passing out fliers at the event to help residents stay informed on current issues, not only in the state but nation wide," she says. According to Butler, these fliers will possess websites and informational sources for participants to view that will provide them with information on current bills and legislative moves, as well as provide them with a place to sign up and receive alerts on these issues.

Several guest speakers have committed themselves to the event, such as Pastor of Christway Church Kennis Smith and Dan Allen from American Family Radio of Southwest Louisiana, which stays within the organizers' goal of being a family-friendly rally. "This is all about our chance to be heard and it will be kept clean and focused," she says.

Butler herself will be a guest speaker, along with Thomas Verzwyvelt, and she says that while there will be many topics discussed, they will all be connected with each other. "There are many issues that have developed since the last rally was held that will be discussed, such as the economy," says Butler, "but also such things as where our nation is heading." Butler also said that she herself will be speaking on why having such rallies is important for the country and will parallel the event with the original Boston Tea Party.

Ultimately, Butler says that she hopes many community members attend the event, not only to celebrate their right to do so during such a poignant weekend, but also as a way of bringing the community together on the issues. "We need to let our politicians know how we feel about these issues together and we need to be united."