Crafts fair funds kids’ trips to Shriner hospitals

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The Sunshine Club for Children helps with transportation and housing expenses for a child and one parent to take advantage of treatment provided for children at the Shriners’ orthopedic hospital in Springfield, Mass., or the Shriners’ burn unit in Boston, explained club member Peggy Kaufman of Dexter.

Under the direction of transportation chairwoman Kathy Talbot of Bangor, the club has assisted with 72 trips so far this year, from the first of January through the end of September.

“The expenses for transportation have totaled approximately $17,000 to date,” Kaufman wrote, adding that the club assists “with ground transportation, only.”

The only fund-raiser of the year for this most worthwhile program is the Sunshine Club’s annual Craft Fair, which is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, at Anah Shrine Club, 586 Main St. in Bangor.

Kaufman is coordinating the event with Peggy Holyoke, and they assure us “that this year’s crafters will please any holiday shopper,” Kaufman wrote.

Admission is free, and you can enjoy homemade lunch specials and a wide variety of pies for dessert, or a snack, at the club’s cafe.

Each year, a quilt is raffled, and Helen Gifford made this year’s quilt, which is titled “Bird Houses.”

Nearly 50 crafters will be on hand for this event, at which your attendance is not only encouraged but sincerely welcomed.

“Remember,” Kaufman wrote, “it’s for the children.”

If you feel your child could benefit from the services offered by the Sunshine Club for Children, or you want more information about the program, call Talbot at 947-2657.

Welcome to November, which is National Caregivers Month.

If you are a caregiver who is facing challenges with that responsibility, help is just a phone call away.

Eastern Agency on Aging in Bangor urges you to contact one of its Family Caregiver Support specialists, who will help you in a variety of ways, from making referrals to advocacy to just a friendly, weekly, “checking in” phone call.

And, just to be on the safe side, caregivers are urged to get in touch with those specialists before you find yourself in a crisis situation.

If you have questions and concerns about caregiving, call Lynn Leighton or Janet Lewis at Eastern Agency on Aging, (800) 432-7812.

In Searsport, on Election Day, before or after you vote, you are encouraged to roll up your sleeves and help your friends and neighbors by giving the gift of life.

The Searsport Rotary Club and the American Red Cross will hold the third annual Searsport Election Day Community Blood Drive 1-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, at Searsport Town Hall, which is within walking distance of the town’s polling place.

For more information, call the Red Cross at (800) 482-0743.

Christine Kreider reports Redeemer Lutheran Church of Bangor will hold its annual Fall Festival 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at the church, 540 Essex St.

Crafts and baked goods made by Redeemer members will be available, she wrote, “as well as a treasure-trove of good, used items.”

You also will find plants, preserves and produce, and an expanded selection of “fair trade” goods featuring handcrafted items from the International Center of Bethlehem, a cultural center affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and Palestine.

Church members “welcome everyone to visit us on the opening day of the holiday fair season,” Kreider said.

For more information, call Nancy Leibfarth at the church, 945-3166.

Cyndi Dalton of the Waldo County YMCA invites you to participate in a “Weekend Fund-raising Extravaganza” Saturday, Nov. 6.

The Community Celebration Fund-raising Walk begins with registration and check-in at 8 a.m. and the walk at 8:30 a.m., at the YMCA, 157 Lincolnville Ave., Belfast.

You can walk a 2-mile outside route or a shorter walk inside.

For information about the walk, or to register, call 338-4598.

The second part of the day features the Waldo County YMCA’s first Community Craft Fair & Bake Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Y.

More than 50 crafters from throughout Maine will participate, and baked goods will be available.

At the end of the day, craft items will be raffled as part of the fund-raising effort.

If you can donate a handmade craft item for the raffle, or baked goods for the sale, leave them at the YMCA, or call Dalton at the number above.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.