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Christ United Methodist Church’s women’s outreach group is on a mission: preparing for its 44th annual bazaar for mission work.
Held on all three floors of the Kettering church, organizers expect to bring in approximately $25,000 for missions, which, in addition to international work, includes local missions like St. Vincent DePaul, food pantries and a backpack program for Kettering schools.
Ivy Schuerholz has been working the bazaar since its beginning in 1969. “It’s become quite a tradition,” she said. “The first year, we had home-made soup and turkey salad, baked goods, and one of a kind knitted and sewn items.’
“Everything was homemade, and each year, women with different interests wanted booths, so the bazaar kept growing.”
Schuerholz runs the popular antique booth, which began with garage sale items. “I go to sales and auctions throughout the year — we have some very nice antiques now,” she says.
A booth for floral arrangements was added, and a gourmet booth with jams, jellies and soup mixes.
“One of the most popular booths sells pickles, made with a secret Cajun recipe — those sell out right away.”
Some items are made throughout the year, while others are prepared just before the bazaar. “The pickles are made at home, we have big candy workshops to make caramels, buckeyes, peanut brittle and toffee, and they use the church kitchen to bake pies right before the bazaar. Pumpkin rolls are made in a woman’s home with two stoves.”
The church’s knitting and crocheting group makes items throughout the year, and other seamstresses make table runners and other hand-sewn items at home.
“When we started, it was primarily church members who attended, but now we have a lot of nonmembers who return year after year.” She’s expecting at least 1,000 people this year.
The turkey salad served the first year has been served every year since. “It’s one member’s recipe, and we’ll use nine turkeys this year and even sell frozen containers of the turkey salad, chili and vegetable soup,” she said, noting that pre-orders have already been taken from church members. “We’ll serve about 500 meals during the bazaar.”
Mother-daughter team Laura Reutschle and Mary Kay Feller are this year’s coordinators, and a booth providing photos and DVD’s with Santa has been added.
The annual bazaar is Nov. 2 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the church, 3340 Shroyer Road, with parking and entrances in the rear.
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