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Resident wraps-up basket making for church

By Sarah M. Corigliano

Assistant Managing Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW Plenty of Americans are active in their church or their community, but East Longmeadow's Sandy Burns gets all wrapped up in hers.

Each year for the past five years, Burns has shopped, assembled and decoratively-wrapped baskets for East Longmeadow First Congregational Church's Christmas Collection Craft Fair, and so far this year she has completed 250.

"I had been working with the flower committee and had worked a lot with bows," Burns explained of how she was recruited as the basket assembler. "They probably figured I would have a little better go at it."

With the idea to add baskets to the fair's offerings, Burns said she began shopping for items that would work well in basket groupings: fireside kindling, pop corn, gardening, book lovers, chocolate lovers and more. And she has learned a few tricks, including shopping right after Christmas to get good sales or clearance prices for the following year's baskets.

She pays for all the basket items and supplies and gets some help from other church members who donate baskets or pick up items during their travels. Others also help her transport the hundreds of baskets to the church when it's time to sell them.

"I shop all year long, especially after Christmas," she said. "It's my contribution to the church."

And she said she will do it as long as she can she has no plans of stopping.

Each basket has a theme and they come in different sizes from a coffee mug filled with little goodies, to large baskets with major indulgences. The prices range from $4 to $40.

The First Congregational Church Christmas Collection Craft Fair is a one-day event. It will take place this year on Nov. 11 at the church, which is located in the center of East Longmeadow.

From 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Publicity Chair Judy Melikian said the fair will include juried crafters, baked goods, plants and dried materials, a youth shop, luncheon foods, a Chinese auction, an antiques gallery, and potpourri, a room of crafts that are made entirely by members of First Congregational Church from which 100 percent of sales returns to the church. There will also be an international table which includes A Greater Gift artistry purchased directly from artists in developing countries with the profits being returned directly to them.

For those wishing to attend, there will be free parking and shuttle service. For more information about the fair, call the church at 525-4121.