PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Hand-made ornaments, family photo sessions, crafts and making friends were a big hit for local children during the Presque Isle High School Class of 2020’s Christmas Craft Day on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Wintergreen Arts Center.
“We had an even better turnout than last year,” said Paige McHatten, vice president, PIHS Class of 2020. “I think the event is coming into its own.”
The craft day was the second annual childcare event sponsored by the Class of 2020 to coincide with Small Business Saturday, a day during the Thanksgiving weekend designated to support small-business owners in communities across the country.
The high school students welcomed toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school-age children into the arts center for a few hours of crafts and fun, giving parents time on their own to shop and dine at Presque Isle area stores and restaurants.
Connor Alberston, student council member, said, “I had an opportunity to give back to my community in a way that I truly enjoyed. Being able to entertain kids and help them make crafts at Wintergreen was a great experience for the younger ones and all of us.”
Christmas mini photo sessions, another class fundraiser, rounded out the activities.
The students raised $515 during the craft day event, and also sponsored a “Polar Express”-themed gift basket to be raffled off, which included four tickets to the Wintergreen Express event on Dec. 15, a “Polar Express” train set, book and movie, custom-made cocoa mugs, and other themed keepsakes.
“It’s great to see the class come together to support one another and provide a service for the community,” said Junkins. “The parents really enjoyed the craft activities and going home with all their children’s hand-made ornaments. This event is so much more than a fundraiser. It’s all about building relationships and giving back.”
In exchange for the use of the arts center, students from the Class of 2020 volunteered during Wintergreen’s most popular holiday event, The Wintergreen Express, entertaining children in the gymnasium at Gentile Hall while they awaited their magic trolley ride to the North Pole.
