By Elaine Davenport, BWS Chair
Volunteer gift wrappers broke records in 2010. A record number, 67 (compared to 62 in 2009), spent 350+ hours wrapping books and gifts in December 2010, earning $3,309.05 for the Bess Whitehead Scott Scholarship Fund of the Writers’ League of Texas. And a record number of volunteers, 11, wrapped three or more shifts.
Sally Baker and Mary Gordon Spence wrapping at Barnes & Noble Sunset Valley.
2010’s special wrapping elves were Ken Loveless and Camille Nerada, who each did five shifts.
Volunteers who wrapped three shifts or more were: Sally Baker, Ann Cabot, Elaine Davenport, Nancy Eskridge, Jorjanna Price, Beth Sample, Terri Schexnayder, Donna Snyder, and Susan Violante.
Wrapping in area bookstores, which started in 1994, has been the major fundraiser for the scholarships, along with private donations. The money goes to two $1,500 annual awards—one to an undergraduate communications major at a Texas university, and the other to a Texas college student studying writing who is at least 40 years old. For more scholarship information: http://www.writersleague.org/scholarships/index.html
Fred Meredith wrapping at Barnes & Noble Sunset Valley.
Many hours of visiting with other writers and with bookstore customers inevitably produce stories. Here are several:
1) Ann Cabot brought University of Texas student Gihye Shin with her. From South Korea, Ms. Shin is working on a PhD in Civil Engineering. Says Ann: “She is in my life through a program at UT’s international office, which matches international students with local families.” Says Gihye: “I loved helping out and experiencing a new side of the Christmas celebration.”
2) Emily Carter and Stephanie Barko, who were teamed and discovered they lived relatively close to each other, decided to continue the good times by organizing a WLT Hays County group which will meet informally in Dripping Springs. The first meeting is at 2 p.m. January 29. For more information, contact emilycarter@earthlink.net.
3) Pat Saunders remembers the two young ladies who had several items wrapped for their mother: “When they learned that WLT was the sponsor and about Bess’s scholarship fund, they promised to pass the info along to their mom, an unpublished writer.”
Volunteers with names in all capitals below (23 total) worked two shifts or more. On behalf of the 37 student writers who have won scholarships totaling $37,800 since the Fund’s inception in 1990, the Bess W. Scott Scholarship Fund and the Writers’ League of Texas thank volunteers and donors for their time and their interest in supporting these scholarships.
Robin Allen
SUSAN ANDERSON
JOANNA ATHEY
SALLY BAKER
Stephanie Barko
Cory Barnett
Dorothy Barnett
David Boyd
RAY BRONK
Nita Lou Bryant
ANN CABOT
EMILY CARTER
LANA CASTLE
Audel Cayce
KATHY ROSE CENTER
Shelli Cornelison
Dyanne and Javier Cortez
Claudia Corum
ELAINE DAVENPORT
Colleen D. Ellis
NANCY ESKRIDGE
Nora Evans
Ann Gallaway
Helen Ginger
John & Debbie Gonzales
DIANE HERNANDEZ
Angero Holt
Cyndi Hughes
Jackie Kelly
Janet Kilgore
Leila Levinson
KEN LOVELESS
Jim Bob McMillan
Fred & Nancy Meredith
MARK MITCHELL
Peggy Murphy
CAMILLE NERADA
Joann Odenwelder
Jeffee Palmer
Roberta Preston
JORJANNA PRICE
Margaret Price
Lois Qualben
CAROLYN REDING
Mindy Reed
Cheryl Rhodes
Betty Rogers
Doris Rogers
BETH SAMPLE
KATHY SARGENT
Pat Saunders
TERRI SCHEXNAYDER
Gihye Shin
Gina S. Shirley
DONNA SNIDER
Mary Gordon Spence
ANNE STOL
Susan Tedter
Therese Trikilis
SUSAN VIOLANTE
Jo Virgil
Katy Washburn
Brad Whittington
BLAINE WILLIAMS
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