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Date: 4/4/2023
BELCHERTOWN — The Belchertown Animal Relief Committee is hosting their seventh annual craft fair and is still accepting applications for vendors.
The craft fair will take place on Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jabish Brook Middle School, 62 North Washington St.
There will be 60 plus local crafters selling their work according to BARC President Cathy Maclutsky, along with raffles and BARC merchandise.
Rooster’s Roaming Cantina food truck will also be in attendance to provide food and beverages.
Crafter applications are still being accepted at www.barcfriends.com.
“We are grateful this has turned out to be such a success in our town,” Maclutsky said, “We get so much community support. We are volunteer run and based upon donations so we cannot do what we do without our generous community which is why we want to give back as much as we can.”
Some crafter tables include custom drinkware, wall designs, painted rocks and slates, woodworking items, jewelry, floral wreaths, homemade dog bones, blankets, scarfs and more.
The original craft fair took place at Old Town Hall with about 20 vendors but has grown so popular causing it to move to a larger space.
Maclutsky added the craft fair is the biggest fundraiser that the committee puts together.
She added that the craft fair usually sees around 300 to 400 guests and helps BARC raise approximately $3,000.
BARC is a nonprofit organization with a primary mission to support the Belchertown Animal Control with food and medical expenses. This assistance allow Animal Control to have low adoption fees and take on animals with medical issues that can be resolved prior to adoption at no cost for the adopter.
They also support a range of community projects including providing funds to local vet clinics to help people with reduced finances get emergency medical attention for their pets.
Maclutsky said, “We help to support our animal control officer beyond the town’s needs. Once our animal control officer uses up her budget for food or vet bills, we come in and help her financially so any animal that comes into her care can properly receive all the veterinarian attention they need before they are put into a new home. We always find ways to help our community.”
According to Maclutsky, when BARC was created in 2005, the original goal of was to open a proper facility control center for the town.
Once that was achieved, Maclutsky said BARC was able to focus on specific needs of the community and helping those who needed financial assistance.
BARC offers a free rabies and microchip clinic a few times throughout the year, a pet food pantry and just recently set up quarterly funds to give to local veterinarians who can use those funds for clients who may be struggling financially.
Some of the funds BARC raised also helped purchase a glide system that the Police and Fire department were trained on to safely assist any livestock or animal stuck in a muddy field.
Maclutsky explained, “Belchertown has a lot of farms and our town didn’t have the proper equipment to safely help our farm animals get out from muddy situations in the fields.”
Visit barcfriends.com to donate or learn about future events and fundraisers.