By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
Saturday was a big day for the Spinners club in Prattville. The sun was shining brightly on the 50-something vendors who came to sell everything from homemade wooden signs to paintings and candles made with goat’s milk.
The sumptuous smell of Polish sausages and elephant ears from LJ’s Concessions filled the air in Spinner’s Park on one side while the fresh scent of homemade soaps and candles wafted through the air on the opposite side.
Spinners has funded more than $500,000 in projects in the community since its inception but had to cancel last year’s Spring Show due to COVID-19. On Saturday the Spinners were back in business as they hosted their all-day “Bunny Hop Shop.”
Linda DeVenecia, chairman of the Club’s Ways and Means Committee, said that all the money the event raised will go back into the community. “We rely entirely on our fundraisers to support community projects.”
DeVenecia said the Spinners fund projects for the Autauga-Prattville Public Library along with other Prattville Civic club, provide four, four-year scholarships for Autauga County high school students. She said the organization funds horseback riding therapy for sufferers of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, helps Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center and many other projects.
The organization also participates in Prattville City Fest and the Autauga County Fair.
Saturday’s Spring event featured dance routines from CJ’s Dance Studio, door prizes, food trucks and vendors of all kinds. The Spring event was five times bigger than first Bunny Hop in 2019, which had only around 10 vendors. The group raffled off a beautiful hand-made quilt and called out door prize winners throughout the day.
There was also a non-traditional Easter egg hunt where children sought letters throughout the park to help form a phrase.
“It was great to be able to get back out in the community again and talk to people,” DeVenecia said. “The turnout was great both from our vendors and the public.”
She said Spinners is celebrating its 70th Anniversary in the community. Vendors interested in participating in the Fall Pumpkin Patch can contact the Spinners Club on their Facebook page. The fall fundraiser will be a two-day event and will be held Oct. 23-24th. DeVenecia can also be reached at (334) 717-1141.
“In two weeks, we will send out our fall applications,” DeVenecia said. “We have opened it up to distributors as well as arts & crafts people. We will have around nine food trucks and 100 vendors.”
DeVenecia said the Prattville Spinners members are also working to build up their membership and those interested are invited to attend a group meeting. The meetings are held every third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Spinners Park Clubhouse.
“I’m really proud of the ladies in this community and would love to have new members,” she said. “These ladies have become my friends and I am very grateful to have them.” She said women in the group brought meals to her house when she recently had surgery.
The Prattville Spinners have been uniting local women while contributing to the community through volunteer work and financial support since 1951.
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