Wonderful and Bizarre Items for Sale

ESA Alpha Rho Chapter’s Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar on October 22 will feature a wide selection of unique and handcrafted items.

ESA Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar co-chairs Linda Jones and Nancy Stanley.

The 39th annual Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar, sponsored by Broken Arrow’s Alpha Rho Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha nonprofit service organization, will be Saturday, October 22 at Clarence Oliver Middle School (3100 W. New Orleans/101st St.). This is your chance to shop a wide selection of handmade craft items and support a number of worthy causes. Admission is free.

The Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar will feature over 100 booths with a wide variety of hand-crafted items including jewelry, stained glass, knitted items, woodwork, Native American art, paintings, seasonal items, stationery, pet treats, pottery and ceramics, clothing, children’s items, books, and food including soup, fudge and baked goods. “We always have such good variety, and we frequently have authors present to sign their books,” says Nancy Stanley, co-chair of the Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar. “The booths are always fantastic – our crafters are so imaginative, and their creativity is exciting to see.”

Epsilon Sigma Alpha is an international nonprofit leadership and service organization. ESA chapters work individually and jointly to raise funds for charitable causes. One ESA priority is the care and expenses of handicapped children. “We’re a group of like-minded people who want to serve the community and continue learning through-out life,” says Stanley. “Our Broken Arrow chapter has people from all walks of life, including many from social service and education backgrounds.”

Since the Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar began, the Alpha Rho Chapter has raised over $235,000 for local, state and international philanthropic projects. Beneficiaries include Broken Arrow Neighbors, Broken Arrow Meals on Wheels, Broken Arrow Public Schools, Parkview School for the Blind, Jane Brooks School for the Deaf, college and vocational/technical school scholarships, local needy family assistance, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Margaret Hudson Program (which helps pregnant teens and teen mothers), Clarehouse (a free residence for people on hospice), Easter Seals (which helps people with disabilities), and Hope for Heroes (which helps families of military personnel serving abroad). “A number of these charities rely very heavily on our support, and that’s one of the reasons our Benefit Bazaar is so important,” says Stanley.

Linda Jones is president of the Alpha Rho Chapter and co-chair of the Benefit Bazaar. “Many people look forward to the show each year,” she says. “We get so many crafters every year, and they know they’ll have a friendly, helpful atmosphere – it’s really a family environment. We want all our crafters to have a good experience, and we always try to help our new crafters too. There are a lot of good feelings – helping other people is the point of the show.”

The ESA Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar, which is held on the fourth Saturday every October, is in its 14th year at Oliver Middle School. “It’s a great location,” says Stanley. “There’s lots of parking and nice big show areas. Oliver Middle School has been very friendly to us.”

Concessions will be available at the bazaar. Raffles will be held  with items donated by crafters. Raffle proceeds will benefit Clarehouse and the Margaret Hudson Program.

If you’re a crafter, booths are still available. For more information or to register for a booth, call Nancy Stanley at (918) 251-0617.

The 39th Epsilon Sigma Alpha Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar is Saturday, October 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Clarence Oliver Middle School, on New Orleans/101st Street, between 129th and 145th. Admission is free. For more information, or to register for a booth, contact event co-chair Nancy Stanley. For more information about ESA and the charitable work they do, visit www.epsilonsigmaalpha.org.

For more information, contact

ESA Alpha Rho Chapter

(918) 251-0617