Basehor craft fair organizers celebrate 40 years
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beta Epsilon Chapter of the Alpha Delta Kappa organization are Phyllis Zishka, who served as the first president in 1974, and Becca Hill, current president. The chapter is best know for its annual Craft Show, which takes place Nov. 1 this year at Basehor-Linwood High School.
For 40 years, the Beta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa has been serving the Basehor community and, increasingly, the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The local chapter of the honorary organization of women educators started with just a handful of Basehor-Linwood school district teachers but now includes 33 educators and retired educators, about 20 of them from 11 surrounding districts, including Tonganoxie, Bonner Springs and Lawrence.
Holy Angels Craft Fair
A wide variety of crafts will be available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 1, at the annual Crafts Fair at Father Quinlan Hall, Holy Angels Parish, 154th and Leavenworth Road, Basehor.
The event is open to the public. Twenty-five booths will feature items including dried flower arrangements, woodworking, wreaths, jewelry and Christmas crafts. Refreshments will be available.
This event is sponsored by the Catholic Women’s Organization of the parish and is planned to coincide with the annual Alpha Delta Kappa Crafts Fair at Basehor High School. There is no admission fee for the Holy Angels Crafts Fair; free parking is also available. For more information, contact Annie Clark, 913-724-2212.
The group is celebrating its 40th anniversary at the same time it prepares for the 31st year of its annual fundraiser, the Alpha Delta Kappa Craft Show, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 1 at Basehor-Linwood High School.
Marilyn Anderson, publicity chair for the group, said that the group has grown and remained vital through a mix of social gathering and charitable events.
“(It’s) the feeling of being of real service locally and in faraway places,” Anderson said of what attracted members to the group.
The goals of the group, founded Aug. 20, 1974, are education, altruism and world understanding.
The chapter has supported local groups like Vaughn-Trent Community Services, Basehor-Linwood Assistance Services and the Tonganoxie Book Buggy project, as well as metro area or regional groups like the Alliance Against Family Violence, Heifer International and the City Union Mission.
Just this month, they prepared a meal for residents at the Children’s Mercy’s Ronald McDonald House.
They have worked with other chapters to fund construction of a school in Vietnam and another in Peru; provide scholarships for students from other countries who plan to be teachers; and support St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Within Kansas, they have helped fund scholarship endowments at four state universities and are currently building an endowment at Kansas State University.
“In our 40 years, we have given $51,600 in direct scholarship assistance to area high school and college students,” Anderson said.
Some of their work is made possible by their well-known Craft Show fundraiser. More than 90 crafters with handmade creations are featured at the juried show, helping Alpha Delta Kappa provide scholarships at St. Mary University, Basehor-Linwood High School and Tonganoxie High School.
Anderson said as the group’s membership has grown, it has briefly considered moving the craft show elsewhere.
“We’ve talked a little bit about ‘Let’s have it at the middle school,’ or ‘Let’s have it in some other town,’ but it always works out best where we are,” she said.
Anderson said the group hopes to maintain its vitality to continue serving the community. She said with about half of the members retired teachers, they hope to welcome more working educators as members.
“Our challenge is to make it rewarding and interesting and full of fun,” she said.
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- Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beta Epsilon Chapter of the Alpha Delta Kappa organization are Phyllis Zishka, who served as the first president in 1974, and Becca Hill, current president. The chapter is best know for its annual Craft Show, which takes place Nov. 1 this year at Basehor-Linwood High School.