The Helping Hands Craft Fair, which is an annual event in the community of Neenah to benefit local families in need, set records in terms of profit and attendance on Saturday, Nov. 4.

The Helping Hands Craft Fair generates proceeds from the booth vendors’ fees, basket raffle and book sale, putting them toward helping families in financial need and/or poverty, according to FestivalNet.com.

The fair is organized by Foreign Language teacher Señora Shelley Aaholm.

As the event coordinator, Aaholm helps the community celebrate and reflect on the growth of this event. “The Helping Hands Craft Fair raised the most money and broke the most records ever, bringing the fair’s balance to $15,662.” 

In addition, the raffle and donations brought in a whopping $1,176, which is up $182 compared with last year’s amount, according to documention in the Satellite.

Furthermore, the craft fair welcomed more than 2,300 people. The book drive shattered records along with the craft fair, Aaholm confirmed.

To set the scene, in terms of attendance.  People were allowed in the door at 8:30 a.m. and they gathered in the cafeteria.  People kept coming.​  When the rope dropped at 9 a.m., a line in front of door 4 stretched down the sidewalk until ​10 a.m.​

Many community members and former members of staff attended.  Aaholm commented that it felt like a big reunion! She expressed her thanks to all who attended, worked and saw how all of this finally comes together.   

A new feature this year was a performance by Mr. Phil Smyth’s Touch of Class to play background music for shoppers.  Aaholm shared that people were shocked to discover it was a group of students playing and then even asked if the class sold CD’s!.

Although the book drive was relocated from the fieldhouse to the hallway, the used book sale brought in $750, which is up $91 from 2016.  A book drive hosted by Mrs. Beth Plankey’s Freshmen Seminar class and Packer Prizes donated by Mrs. Molly Brown are attributed to the success of this year’s book drive.   

Clearly, the Helping Hands Craft Fair and book drive set multiple records for the 2017 year. Preparations are already underway for the 2018 — 11th annual  — craft fair, Aaholm said.