Arts & Craft Show to benefit Island Coast swim teams
Not considered a major sport that generates revenue for high school athletic programs, swimming programs take a back seat to their football, basketball, baseball, soccer and softball brothers and sisters.
Those who participate in swimming often pay for most of the equipment and travel costs out of their own pockets. That leads to coaches and administrators to don their fundraising hats.
Island Coast High School swim coach Andrea “Andy” Edmunds wore that hat last year when she put together the first Arts & Craft Show to raise money to help sustain the boys and girls teams.
The second Arts & Craft Show this Saturday from 9 a.m. till noon is expected to be bigger and better.
“We have more than 25 vendors coming this year,” said Edmunds. “We had 15 last year. I wanted to double it this year to create more traffic for the vendors.”
The vendors pay a fee to set up one or more tables to display their products for sale to show visitors.
“I hope the visitors are double this year. We will have vendors in the cafeteria and outside under our pavilion. A couple of school groups will sell food, beverages and breakfast items.”
The big draw, of course, is the varieties of jewelry, photographs, paintings, crochet and embroidery items, beaded kitchen utensils and other things like customized solar lights, American Doll clothing, pet items and hand painted glass.
“Swimming programs don’t get a lot of publicity,” said Edmunds. “We use the money we raise for timing equipment, flags and swim fins and goggles. A lot of the students help by buying their own suits, goggles and towels.”
The 8-year-old school is at 2125 Del Navarra Parkway off the Del Prado extension in Northeast Cape.
“A lot of people don’t even know where we are,” said Edmunds. “We’d like them to come find out and help us out. I think we have a good selection of items that people can use all year round instead of just for the holiday.”
Students and other volunteers will be on hand to direct traffic to Arts & Craft Show.