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With Halloween passed, local
shoppers immediately began thing of the holiday season ahead when
they dropped in at the annual Pumpkin & Spice vendor sale at the
Cronin Brothers VFW Post 1756 Freedom Hall in Lincoln.
The annual event is a fundraiser for the VFW, and according to
veteran Michelle Ramlow who has been deeply involved with the VFW
and its building, the money raised is used to help sustain the
building.
Some people may recall that earlier this year, the building was
offered up for sale. Ramlow said that the building is now off the
market and the VFW organization is working to maintain it into the
future. The basement, which has been leased out to a variety of pub
and grill establishments is currently unoccupied, but Ramlow says
there is an ongoing effort to find a new tenant. She said that lease
will help sustain the building in the future.
On Saturday there were a large
number of vendors on hand for the day. Several were people who have
come in the past, but there were also new ones such as a young man
on hand with 25 different flavors of pork rinds, a young lady
selling a variety of sweet treats and a vendor who was selling
mystery books.
Those mystery books were wrapped up
so that the buyer did not know exactly what book they were getting
until they undid the wrapper. There was a hint on the back of each
wrapped package indicating the genre of the book inside, so a buyer
could choose, for example, a mystery novel or a romance.
There were also familiar vendors such as Scentsy, and several who
were selling handmade craft items from carved or burnt wood, someone
selling macrame products, and one who was selling handmade beaded
creations.
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In addition, the VFW chapter
had volunteers in the kitchen cooking up chili soup that would
be ready to sell at the lunch hour.
There were plenty of shoppers in the morning hours of the event
and vendors were satisfied with the number of sales they were
making. For the shoppers, with each $10 they spent with a
particular vendor, they received a ticket to put in the raffle
drawing at the end of the day. The table of items that would be
given away was made up of donations from each one of the
vendors.
And, while shoppers were perusing
the different tables, they were serenaded by local musician and
vocalist Silas Tockey.
Ramlow said the vendor market was
good for the community and good for the VFW. With the money they
raise they can continue serving local veterans. She said they will
continue to hold events at the VFW including the annual Veterans Day
event on Tuesday, November 11th.
The event will start at 10:30 a.m. on the 11th, with the guest
speaker of the day being retired Lt. Col. Jim Allen. After the event
there will be the annual ham and bean lunch. Ramlow said the lunch
would be hosted by the VFW Auxiliary. A suggested freewill donation
will be accepted.
[Nila Smith]
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