ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Flickering For Fairlawn Shines A Light To Honor, Remember




Some of the parts that make up a luminary kit offered by Fairlawn Haven for the “Flickering For Fairlawn” event, Sunday, Dec. 12. Mari Yoder, Fairlawn Director of Development, said the event “fits with our community… because we do the Parade of Lights and we do the Festival of Lights.”– courtesy photo

Some of the parts that make up a luminary kit offered by Fairlawn Haven for the “Flickering For Fairlawn” event, Sunday, Dec. 12. Mari Yoder, Fairlawn Director of Development, said the event “fits with our community… because we do the Parade of Lights and we do the Festival of Lights.”– courtesy photo

Homes and streets in Archbold and the surrounding area will be alight the evening of Sunday, Dec. 12, with luminary kits from Fairlawn Haven.

It’s part of a project that has several goals, said Mari Yoder, Fairlawn Director of Development.

The event, called “Flickering for Fairlawn,” is a fundraiser, “but it’s just a wonderful way to honor and remember people and to remind people that Fairlawn is that light for families and for residents.

“And, to remind them that Fairlawn is a not-for-profit organization that needs their help.

“That’s the big thing.

“I think people forget we’re a business, but we’re a not-for-profit business, and financially it is a challenge every day.”

Kits

Fairlawn is offering “kits” to make the luminary, consisting of special fire-resistant paper bags, candles, sand, and instructions. Each kit will make 10 luminaries.

The kits are being assembled with volunteer help from the Archbold High School chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America.

Yoder said Fairlawn has enough bags, candles, and sand for 750 kits, which will make 7,500 luminaries.

Over a two-week period, more than 150 have been sold, she said.

One goal is to line West Williams Street through Ruihley Park with luminaries.

Some local businesses have stepped up to be sponsors of the luminaries-in-thepark project, and high school students are volunteering to help set up the luminaries.

The candles in each luminary will burn about 8-10 hours.

Yoder said the plan is to have all candles lit by 5:30 pm.

“Then hopefully, people will come out, either to walk around their neighborhood or take a drive and look around. I’m hoping you’ll see maybe an increase of people at the Festival of Lights as they drive through town,” she said.

Auxiliary

Traditionally, the Fairlawn Auxiliary has an auction every spring.

But with the Coronavirus pandemic, the auction was cancelled in 2020 and 2021.

The auction is an important source of income for the Auxiliary, which uses the money to support resident care.

The Auxiliary “always supported the ministerial program. They helped us have a part-time minister on staff with their funds,” she said.

They also helped to support benevolent care for people who had run out of funds, and usually every year, would have one or two projects that they helped with, such as new equipment.

“So (the Auxiliary) would help with those extra pieces of equipment that were really helpful, but maybe we didn’t have the funds to buy and we probably could live without,” she said.

“But they make our life a lot easier. And it made it easier for the residents.”

Without the auction, Fairlawn has had to cover the cost of the ministerial program and the cost of benevolent care through its regular budget.

Otherwise, “Everything has been put on hold for a year, or for two years. Unless it’s an absolute necessity, we aren’t buying it,” Yoder said.

“We’ve been fortunate there’s been some very generous people in our community who have stepped up to do things like send flowers to residents.

“There were a lot of good things that happened that other people stepped up and did, that maybe in the past the Auxiliary did.

“The one thing they did maintain throughout this, though– a couple of the people who were on the Auxiliary… kept bringing birthday flowers every month, because they’ve always done little vases with flowers for everybody who has a birthday.”

Replace?

“Flickering for Fairlawn” will not raise enough money to replace the auction, “not in the first year, at least,” she said.

“In the first year our hope is to make some money to help, but it was really more to bring awareness and to do something that brought joy to the community.

“I think everyone is worn down and tired. I know a lot of the people at Fairlawn are.

“So we thought this was just a way to shine a light.

“It’s just to remind people of the importance of our seniors– the ones in Fairlawn, the ones who aren’t in Fairlawn.

“This has impacted not just our residents. There’s a lot of people who live in their homes who have been isolated because of this.

“If we can shine a light on trying to remember those people, that’s awesome.”