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Spinners Park Saturday was Full of Vendors, Arts and Crafts and History

Evie was the lucky winner of this big Easter Basket Saturday.

By Hamilton Richardson

Elmore/Autauga News

During the Spinners annual Bunny Shop Hop this weekend, residents, families and business folk gathered together at Spinners Park to enjoy arts and crafts and family fun for the third year.

Sixty-eight vendors filled the park, as well as activities for kids, Easter Basket giveaways, and a beautiful seahorse quilt was raffled off to the lucky winner .

The event drew hundreds of area residents and vendors offered arts and crafts as well as food trucks and bounce houses.

“Whatever we make goes back to the community,” said longtime Spinners member Ilse Mears, who has been involved in the group for 31 years.

The Spinners group goes back to 1951 in Prattville, and has a long history of selflessness and providing for the community.

Spinners’ President Linda Devenecia said originally the group was formed by area military wives, who did not feel accepted in other community organizations at that time.

Over the years, the organization wanted a home base for activities, and members mortgaged their own houses to purchase the land where Spinners Park now offers activities and fun for area children throughout the year.

“We own Spinners Park and the city rents it from us,” Devenecia said.

The group has about 15 active members today, but it is always welcoming to new members. It is not a requirement to know how to quilt, and the four members who are active quilters are happy to teach and share their knowledge of quilting. They created the beautiful quilt over the past year that was raffled off Saturday. Another one will be available at their next big event in October. “We are working on that quilt now and hope to have tickets available in time for CityFest,” Devenecia said.

“We have about 15 active members and a handful of members in retirement (a Spinner but not required to participate in activities). If anyone is interested in joining they can message us on Facebook or call me 717-1141 and I would love to meet with them. There are no requirement to know how to sew, but we would be glad to share that skill with others. The monies raised during the years of fundraising have been put back into the community, and total over $500,000 to date.”

Ilse Mears said that Saturday’s event was the spring craft fair and that there is also a fall event as well, the beloved Pumpkin Patch Craft Show held annually in October. Those, along with other events throughout the year, raise funds with everything going back to the community. Just a few organizations that have benefitted from the funds are the YMCA, the Rescue Squad and many other local organizations.

Spinners is a 501 (C) (3) charitable organization, and Devenecia said the $11,000 raised last year will be awarded to recipients at an upcoming event in May of this year.

Families not only enjoyed browsing and shopping for all sorts of creative endeavors, but the Easter Bunny also paid a visit and helped the kids have a great time, in the great weather, at a great event.

So, the next time you enjoy the playground, an event, or just walking among the trees at the park, think back on the women of Spinners over the years and the sacrifices they made to make the park possible.

For more information about the Spinners, call 334-717-1141.

Brock was the lucky winner of this big Easter basket Saturday at Spinners Park in Prattville.
Ilse Mears and Carol Crowley have been active with Spinners for many years.
Darlene Blumentritt, Jeannie Mayo, Allen Frasier and Austin Fischer pulled door prizes at Spinners Park