On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Annual Pottery Show and Sale will be held in the Multipurpose Room of the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to benefit the University Police Criminal Justice Scholarship Fund (CJSF).
Local potters will be selling their handcrafted mugs, trays, bowls, and jewelry and also donating a portion of their proceeds to benefit the scholarship fund through the Fredonia College Foundation.
Among the SUNY Fredonia potters participating will be Counseling Center Director Sally Turner, Department of Biology faculty member Dr. Ted Lee, Dr. David Rudge and Marc Levy of the School of Music; and University Police Chief Ann Burns. Other local potters who will be selling their works are Michele Ballachino, Carol Samuelson and Cynthia Fitzgerald.
The CJSF was started in July 2009 by University Police Lt. Clifton Wheeler. He recognized a need for more scholarship opportunities for Criminal Justice majors other than just the one scholarship available at that time. Each year the fund strives for a $10,000 endowment reward to present to a deserving Criminal Justice student.
Chief Burns noted, “The University Police Department has almost 100 percent giving from their employees to the CJSF. Each person takes a certain amount out of their paycheck every two weeks to give to the scholarship.” This is considered an important contribution and act of dedication by UPD employees, especially during the tough economic times and unstable economy in the past few years.
In addition to the pottery sale and personal donations by employees, the UPD also hosts a yearly golf tournament with the Fredonia College Foundation as a fundraising opportunity to support the CJSF. “We all understand the need to help young people,” explained Burns.
All of the potters created their works on the pottery wheels at Mudslingers, a pottery studio in downtown Fredonia owned and operated by Fredonia alumnus Ron Nasca, who is a strong supporter and teacher of the potters.
