LORAIN — A craft fair benefiting an administrator from Constellation Schools is Saturday.
Cindy McCormick, of Lorain, organized the benefit for Melisa Shady, former principal of Lorain Community Elementary and Middle School. The administrator has long battled brain cancer and this past school year was her last, given the toll it has taken on her health, McCormick explained.
The fair, in the Lorain County Community College Lorain Learning Center on West Erie Avenue, will feature 38 vendors ranging from self-published authors to home bakeries and direct sales companies. McCormick said some of the vendors are ones she’s met at craft fairs she’s worked, while others saw her posts on Facebook and reached out to help. A portion of the proceeds from each sale Saturday will be collected for Shady.The first fundraiser McCormick organized; she said the idea for a craft fair came from her oldest nephew, who is a student at the school. McCormick herself sells a lot of items at craft fairs in the area, including jewelry, girls’ dresses and traveler’s notebooks. She said her husband sells handmade wooden toys as well — just a sampling of what will be for sale Saturday.
“Being the principal at my kids’ school she just meant so much to everybody,” McCormick said. “Everybody in the school, all the kids that went to school there, she’s going to be missed so much. I got custody of my nephews back in 2016 and I got four of them and my oldest one, he had some problems because of what the situation was and I think if it wouldn’t have been for her, I probably would have lost my mind. She was just so caring and compassionate that I was able to talk to her and she was able to help me and give me some insight on the problem.”
Once donations are collected, McCormick plans to hand them off to school staff to give to Shady, as someone from the building visits her at least once a week.
Lorain Community Elementary and Middle School is part of the Constellation Schools charter network. It serves students from the city and surrounding communities.
The fair is free, though donations are accepted. It is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 204 West Erie Ave., in Lorain, across from City Hall.
Details
What: Craft fair benefit
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: 201 West Erie Ave., Lorain