Sharing Fair Brings Holiday Shoppers Unique Gifts

It's that time of year again when everyone starts their search for unique holiday gifts and also finds the time to volunteer or donate to charity.

Yet, locals can find a place to get their shopping done and give back this Saturday at the 's For All Good Causes Holiday Sharing Fair.

Steve Seitz, and his wife Dotti, who run the The Puppet and Story Work company, have helped put together this annual church event along with 15 other volunteers.

Seitz said the 15-year-old event gives locals the opportunity to shop for handcrafted gifts and all the proceeds benefit good causes.

"We've been doing the fair for quite a few years," Seitz said. "We have a dozen or so vendors and the idea is to get people alternate gifts for Christmas."

He said in the past, shoppers have found pottery, art, cards, fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate from South America, Africa and other parts of the world.

Seitz said shoppers can also help with the Heifer Project that collects money to buy livestock for farmers.

"They will be able to find gifts that are a little unusual can't be found at stores, crafts and arts like pottery, handmade cards, and art," Seitz said, "but you would be doing a favor for people around the world."

Some vendors have been coming for years, while others the church finds throughout the year and invites to the December fair. The vendors are all non-profits that give the proceeds to the original crafters in foreign nations.

In years past, the event has drawn out 250 people and this year on top of the available food, there will also be a puppet show starting at 11 a.m.

Dotti Seitz said the puppet show is based off a Native American story called "The Giveaway."

"It's a very basic storyline of Jesus coming into the world, but through the perspective of the animals," Dotti said. "They are worried about mankind always thinking about themselves."

The fair will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will run until 3 p.m.