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Canfield seniors commemorate 27th annual craft show
By AMANDA TONOLI
CANFIELD
Canfield High School’s senior class is hosting the 27th annual Senior Class Craft Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the high school on Cardinal Drive.
The annual craft show, which is free to attend, raises funds to help pay for some seniors’ graduation expenses, support local charities, and sponsor two dances – the Sweethearts Dance and the Junior/Senior Banquet.
In the past two years, funds primarily went to the renovation of the front of the high school. Shrubs and trees were added. This year, some of the funds raised are going toward the purchase of a new sound system for school performances.
Anthony Holben, senior class adviser and a Canton resident, runs Canfield’s alternative school – online coursework that provides catch-up credits to students. He said he used the craft show as an opportunity to bridge the gap between himself and the Canfield community.
“This gave me the opportunity to work with more kids and kind of provide a service back to the community that gave me a job,” Holben said. “I love it here.”
Holben said he was grateful for the hard work of his 12 senior-class officers and parent volunteers, as well.
“Both those 12 and those parents are critical,” Holben said.
Holben splits responsibilities with the parent volunteers. He is in charge of soliciting vendors, and the parents are in charge of the dances that follow the fundraising and the bucket auction, which starts at 2:30 p.m.
Vendors begin signing up Feb. 1, and Holben said he is usually filled up by August or September.
“The day of the show, I have about a 60 to 70 percent return rate,” Holben said.
In addition to a high volume of vendors, Holben said there also is a high volume of consumers – an estimated 3,000 people.
Senior class officer Morgan Leonard, 18, said she enjoys seeing the people excited to come with their homemade creations.
“They make, honestly, a lot of neat stuff,” Leonard said.
Ashlyn Merrell, 18, a senior, said she enjoyed being a part of the show and was happy to be rewarded for her efforts.
“If we volunteered, we got our cap and gown free,” Merrell said.
Because many student officers are involved in various school activities, Leonard said they have found a way to be understanding of one another’s schedules.
“We’re close and all work well together,” Leonard said.