Auction of Handcrafted Items Donated by Various Artists

The Friends Group auctioned a number of remarkable items during the 2007 holiday season. The items auctioned were handmade pieces donated from various artists across the United States. Ronnie Edwards, of Graves County Kentucky, constructed wooden shelves for the Friends Group to display all the beautiful pieces of art on.

Those pieces displayed consist of:

• Pileated woodpecker relief carving by Bob Van Hoff of Floyd’s Knob, Indiana     

• Gray wolf scroll saw carving by Barry Stratton of Anchorage, Alaska     

• Mesquite bowl by Ernie Nyball of Dayton, Texas      

• Bradford pear bowl by Travis Stinson of Brookhaven, Mississippi   

• Maple bowl with a walnut lid by Joe Tonich of Parma Heights, Ohio     

• Bradford pear bowl by Mark Cothren of Conway, Arkansas   

• Two handcrafted willow chairs by George Beard of Murray, Kentucky

The display traveled to several locations in western Kentucky. The places involved include:

• McCracken County Public Library

• Lake Barkley State Park

• River Heritage Museum

• Murray Art Guild

On December 3^rd the sealed-bid auction closed, and the winning bidders were soon notified. Congratulations to all the winners! In total, this fundraiser made $720 for the Friends. As with all contributions to the Friends Group, the money raised from this auction will directly benefit the Refuge, community, and wildlife.

The Friends Group would like to send their heartfelt appreciation to the craftsmen, display locations, bidders, and all involved in making this traveling auction possible.