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PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1996
Original quilt one of many special items on the block
By Bonnie Gropp
If you make it enticing they will
come.
The Blyth Festival's annual Din-
ner Auction has traditionally been a
major fundraiser for the theatre.
While the people who attend are
certainly responsible for its success
year after year, it is through the
imagination, considerable talents
and generosity of volunteers and
contributors that so many unique
items are offered to get their atten-
tion.
Sheila Richards of Brussels, a
former member of the Festival's
board of directors has been, for
many months, diligently tracking
down exciting packages for the
auction block. Through her hours
of leg work and the contributions of
longtime supporters among this
year's highlights are a number of
special travel packages.
Richards said she first spoke with
Judy Crawford at Marlin Travel in
Goderich and together they came
up with a list .of activities and
places that people enjoy. Two of
the most exciting packages are a
whale watching excursion to Grand
Manam, N.B. including a two night
stay for two, and accommodation at
the Grand Hotel in Mackinaw,
Mich.
Other fun packages are a six-day
golf vacation at Myrtle Beach, Fla.,
a two-day ski trip, and a train jour-
ney to Montreal.
As many of the packages had to
be purchased, at least in part,
Richards called on the assistance of
Festival supporters to develop a
working fund. "It was simply
amazing. There were many long-
time supporters, who could easily
have run the other way because
they know what I'm after when
they see me coming," Richards
smiles, "But they were just tremen-
dously generous."
"This is the first year that we
have actually pursued this method
of obtaining items for auction and
it's through these special people
that we were able to do it."
Special talents are another foun-
tain Richards taps for the flood of
quality items up for bid. At the auc-
tion two years ago, the interest in a
quilt on the block caught Richards
attention. "It was quite a popular
item and I thought we should have
another."
She tracked down Viola Kirkby,
a Walton resident, an avid quilter
who has displayed her work at
many shows, including the one at
the Huron County Pioneer Muse-
um. Kirkby said she started quilting
as a young girl, but it wasn't until
the 1970s that she got serious
about it. Since 1975 she has made
close to 50 quilts, many of which
have been given as keepsakes to
her family.
The one Richards chose from
four others for the auction is a
queen-size original design that took
100 hours to complete.
"Viola is an artist. Anyone who
loves quilts will be impressed,"
said Richards.
The dinner auction is on Nov. 9
at the Blyth Community Centre.
Artist's work
This original quilt design by Viola Kirkby of Waltor. is one
of several very special items offered for bidding at the
annual Blyth Festival Gala Dinner Auction.
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