Vendors sell crafts for a cause at Wareham YMCA
Dec 8, 2018
Mike Panarelli of Dighton shows off one of his handmade bird houses during the YMCA’s holiday craft fair. Photo by Meghan Neely
Vendors gathered in the YMCA gymnasium. Photo by Meghan Neely
Terry cloth children’s towels handmade by Bernadette Armstrong of Wareham. Photo by Meghan Neely
Sand dollar ornaments made by Elaine and Sarah Scott of Marshfield. Photo by Meghan Neely
A starfish ornament also crafted by the Scotts. Photo by Meghan Neely
The Gleason Family YMCA hosted its third annual holiday craft fair and bazaar on Dec. 8 with more than 30 Massachusetts vendors in attendance.
Items on sale ran the gamut from Christmas tree ornaments and essential oils to handmade towels and blankets.
The event is one of the YMCA’s largest fundraisers according to Special Event Coordinator Cathy Longfield, who said a portion of proceeds received were donated to the Y Cares Financial Aid Program.
The program helps those who struggle to afford the cost of a YMCA membership on their own, allowing them to join the Wareham organization at a discounted rate.
The craft fair replaces the YMCA’s annual Breakfast with Santa event, which Longfield said the YMCA had struggled to run in years past.
“Without a kitchen we just aren’t really set up to host a breakfast,” Longfield said. “But we’ve seen tremendous success with the fair. New vendors are interested each year, and everyone has something unique to offer.”
Mike Panarelli of Dighton was among the new crowd of vendors, selling handcrafted bird houses which doubled as security systems.
“I love to work with wood,” Panarelli said. “And my buddy, he loves to work with computers. So we came up with the idea to mesh the two together.”
The birdhouse surveillance system offered a unique approach to home security, Panarelli said, and all of his custom built systems are designed to withstand severe heat and cold.
Marshfield vendor Elaine Scott and her daughter, Sarah, also had an array of items for sale. The pair crafts Christmas ornaments and other decorations they find with materials collected off a beach in their backyard.
“Sarah was really the one who came up with the idea,” Elaine said. “We’d just find so many pieces of driftwood and shells when we were walking that we eventually decided it was time to do something with it.”
Each of the fairs 38 vendors also donated one item to the YMCA’s raffle, which raised $350 alone last year.
“Everyone is super generous,” Longfield said. “It’s a tradition we really want to keep strong. Everyone should shop local and shop small.”
