Craft fair/fun run helps feed hungry children in Graham

The 2018 Hobby, Talent and Craft, Fun Run/Walk vendor event took place on Saturday, March 3 at the Frontier Park Lodge in Graham. 40 business vendors were there with a table showcasing wares.

Carol Wright, organizer and founder of the Graham-Kapowsin Community Council, explained how the expo benefitted the “Feed the Children Project,” which helps to feed 600 homeless or food insecure children in the area.

“Originally we gave out three to four backpacks each weekend with food on Fridays, but Harvest House Food Pantry from Cedar Springs church, stepped in to help with the number of children needing weekend food grew so fast,” she said. “I loved the community connections that were made as the sun streamed in this new venue. I was pleased that our volunteers contributed so much and creatively solved some of the glitches that typically come up.”

The 1K or 5K Fun Run/Walk took place at the path around the Pierce County Fairgrounds.

Lucy Black, a Puyallup resident, attended because it was something to do with her and the kids and a great way to get out of the house, but not too far from home. Black believed the expo had a great mix of handcrafted, unique quality goods.

“The price ranges for all the goods from the vendors were very reasonable,” Black said. “Every single vendor was unique.”
Black said similar events, such as Farmer’s Markets, seem to be more expensive when it came to crafted goods.

“I would recommend this type of event to people who enjoy supporting the communities, are starting up a business, or those who like unique, personalized items,” she said. “I found a lot of high quality items from this event at a very reasonable price. They are all very unique and each person has a story to go with their merchandise.”

The expo is planned again the first Saturday of the month, unless further notice.

“I hope we can continue this great new relationship with Pierce County Parks. We always look for handmade local items and we are developing a new and exciting relationship with the Orting Valley Farmers Market.”

For more information about the expo or the Council, please call: 253-279-3071 or visit: g-kcc.org or email: gkccouncil@gmail.org. They are also looking for a volunteer to help update their web page.