Richard Smith Contributing writer
Saturday, Feb. 18 marked the 4th annual ‘Spring Fling’ Craft and Vendor Show for Salem and the Lambda Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa. The event, hosted by the Lambda Chapter, took place from morning to the afternoon in the gymnasium of Andrew Lewis Middle School, and it collected together several artists, craftsmen and other sellers from the area.
The event had fairly good turnout, said Margie Wray, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. While most attendees were older, a few children attended the event with their families and were able to have their faces painted by a vendor on-site. Wooden toys were also sold for the younger attendees.
Crafts and other items at large varied from the practical to the ornamental. The wooden bowls and other wooden crafts of Richard Caldwell were sold, as were household kitchen items like spatulas and trays. For the musically inclined, several CDs and LPs were in stock. For those inclined towards the visual arts, several oil paintings depicting nature and pastoral scenes were on display, ready for sale. Jewelry and cosmetics were also popular, such as the custom necklaces and bracelets of Origami Owl. Knitted banners, towels and tablecloths attracted the eye with a variety of patterns and colors. Food was also sold by the Lambda Chapter – both breakfast and lunch items were provided, as were Rice Krispies treats and other homemade, bagged goodies from a Chapter bake sale. Those with pets could even buy dogfood – PawPaw’s homemade dog treats had a stall in the gymnasium as well. Such a wide variety of items meant there was something for everyone.
Alpha Delta Kappa is an international sorority for women educators. There are more than 1,200 chapters of the sorority globally; the Lambda Chapter in particular represents Roanoke County. In the past two years the sorority, among other things, has distributed almost $2 million in scholarships alone and has continuously provided networking opportunities for women educators across the globe.
Proceeds from sales benefitted the Jane Whitfield Painter Scholarship for local students. According to Wray, around $1500 was collected for the scholarship by this event alone, and the craft and vendor show is not the only fundraiser that provides for the monetary award. The scholarship, in the past, has provided two student-age prospective teachers in Salem and Roanoke County with scholarships of $750. Scholarships are awarded annually in May. “I thank every vendor who attended and thank the customers, not necessarily just in Salem City but in the Roanoke Valley, who helped fund the scholarship,” said Wray.
