CENTENARY MARKS 25TH ANNUAL BAZAAR

What started as a simple fund-raising event has grown into an elaborate set up of gifts, booths and holiday crafts.

The Centenary United Methodist Church Bazaar will mark its 25th anniversary Dec. 5 with a sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Family Life Center, 300 N. Ellis St.

In the 25 years since its first sale, the bazaar has become a traditional holiday event for many.

"I think we started something 25 years ago," said Dorothy Trotter, who has helped organize nearly every sale. "We used to have them (people) at the doors before we could get them open."

Many other churches in the area also have holiday bazaars, so the crowds aren't always overwhelming, but they are steady, she said.

Booths filled with garlands and greenery to decorate doorways for the holidays, homemade treats and baked goods, a silent auction booth and tables of paperbacks and cookbooks will be available for sale. Coffee and sweet rolls will be for sale in the morning, with a luncheon served later in the day.

One of the more unusual booths offering wares is the "Promise Tree." It is actually a bulletin board filled with cards offering services like a night of baby-sitting, a gourmet dinner or dessert and other services.

"It's really popular because you can read all the things and select which one you want," Trotter said. "It's a lot of fun."

And the bazaar is a great time of fellowship for the ladies of the church. Many of the younger women are helping to organize this year's sale, she said.

"It's a big job, but we really enjoy it so we have a lot of fun."

The bazaar began as a fund-raising method for the church. When the sanctuary renovations and education building were constructed the church went into debt. To help pay off the nearly $1 million debt, the women of the church organized the bazaar.

"That was our focus for years," Trotter said. "And we really did pay off the debt in over 10 years. That felt really good."