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Saxon Club sponsors annual event
By Shaiyla B. HAKEEM
AUSTINTOWN
The Youngstown Saxon Club Branch 22 hosted its Fifth Annual Fall Craft Show on Saturday in the club’s social hall, where more than 20 vendors offered their hand-crafted works of art for sale.
Branch 22 member Betty Garhammer said the yearly event was created as a fundraiser when craft shows seemed to be getting really popular within the community. She can still recall how the idea was born and who was placed in charge of it.
“Someone suggested a craft show, and someone who was involved in crafts got nominated to put it together,” Garhammer explained, chuckling. “And it was me!”
She has been the organizer of the Fall Craft Show ever since. Donations are always given to local organizations from the funds raised through the event. This year’s beneficiaries include Beatitude House, Dorothy Day House of Hospitality and Youngstown Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. Monies will also be used in support of the branch’s annual academic scholarship for Youngstown State University attendees. Scholarship applications will be available in the spring.
Although Christmas is more than a month away, Santa was able to make an appearance, toting a bag of holiday tree embellishments. Cold War Navy veteran and Salem resident William Rhodes Dick, who goes by “Santa Bill,” was selling his hand-crafted wooden ornaments to raise money for Betty’s Angels. He said the Warren shelter currently has 18 children residing there. The wood used for the ornaments come from a plant known for its relaxing aroma and therapeutic qualities, he said.
His spring-blooming lilac bush
lost its ability to produce flowers. It became an annoyance to Bill because it was difficult to mow around the shrub, which had started to grow out of control.
“I thought, ‘You know what? You’re out of here!’” he said to the bare bush.
Upon cutting the branches, the lilac bush revealed its unique annual growth rings. Bill said the wood was too beautiful to discard, so he decided to transform it into art.
“It’s sort of like people,” he explained. “Sometimes you have to look inside to see the beauty.”
He began making the lilac ornaments through a business he named Lilac Unlimited, in 2005. His most recent pieces are from 100-year-old lilac bushes he harvested from the Ohio village of Jefferson.
Located an aisle away from Bill was crafty card-maker Vickie Neely of Austintown, who has been creating greeting cards for more than 18 months. She works fulltime but always finds a break to participate in fall craft shows. She also knits and crotchets, but prefers exercising her imagination to design the greeting cards because she likes to see the finished project right away.
“It helps me relax,” said Neely, “And I can earn a little bit of extra money on the side.”
The craft show displayed many items in preparation for the holidays and wintertime. That was right in line with the thought-process of high-spirited Lori Stephens of Austintown, who said she’s already suffering from “winter fever.” She purchased holiday-scented candles and a hand-knitted hat with the scarf to match. Stephens wants to make sure she is prepared for the cold weather and snow this year.
“I know how Ohio is,” she explained, “One day we are going to wake up and it will be a blizzard outside!”