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Perfect prizes
, Staff
09-10-2007
Since the St. John Bazaar was first established to help raise funds to build a new church in the 1930’s, the KJT Hall, located on South Paris Street in Ennis, has always been the bazaar’s base of operations.
It was a natural evolution, as many members of the church were also affiliated with the KJT (Catholic Union of Texas) # 35, which currently serves the insurance, fraternal and social activity needs of more than 1,200 members of the Ennis community.
The KJT has a significant history of service to this community spanning more than 100 years.
“Our membership bonded with the church and school over the decades to help with many events which were beneficial to our parish,” said KJT President Joe Landsfeld. “It is our sincere desire to serve, therefore, we provide many services to the bazaar because they also help the Parish – especially the school. We donate the use of our hall, all facilities, utilities, grounds, parking and many of our members also assist with building and repairing booths, preparing the barbecue for the Sunday dinner – and our members help the bazaar in numerous other ways – it is just our tradition to support the bazaar wherever we can. It is still our way of helping the school.”
2007 Bazaar Committee Chairman Larry Deagen said he appreciates the contribution made by the KJT.
“There would be no way the bazaar could function without the support from the KJT, its officers and members,” he said. “Not only has the KJT always been our bazaar home – we’ve had their total backing all these years – the total package; home base , facilities, utilities and the heartfelt support of the KJT team – their physical labor, spirit, and the collective knowledge they have shared with our committee. The bazaar’s success would be impossible without the KJT membership and their hospitality!
“The hundreds of volunteers who, over the years, have involved themselves with the bazaar, have also been our life-line,” Deagen said.
When the KJT Hall was first constructed, it was a large two-story frame structure, located on the Paris Street property.
“In those days Ennis was largely a farming community, and it was not uncommon that the families of many of the children who attended St. John School, derived their family income from seasonal crop harvests,” Landsfeld said. “Originally, the bazaar was partially funded by farmers donating some of their cotton harvests, or from donations of what they could afford when their crops were sold.”
KJT memberships increased over the years, and the old frame structure was torn down in 1968, allowing members to build a modern new hall on the same grounds.
Over the years, the bazaar grew larger, first through the St. John “Bazaar Queen program,” which began in the early 1940’s, with competing St. John schoolgirls running as queen candidates. The queen candidate who raised the most money would become Bazaar Queen, and would be crowned the final night of the bazaar on stage of the KJT auditorium.
“Taking the place of the Bazaar Queen program, a popular ‘live and silent’ auction was added to the bazaar activities – this program still remains in effect today, brings a lively crowd and is held inside the beautiful KJT auditorium on the Sunday of the bazaar,” Deagen said.
“The KJT in Ennis has been the continuous home for the St. John Bazaar every year since it has been in existence, except 1981, when the massive, modern hall burned to the ground on August 15 of that year,” Landsfeld said. A new 20,000 sq. ft. hall was soon rebuilt on the same site, and again, the annual bazaar resumed operations to benefit St. John.
The St. John Bazaar event includes food, music, prize booths, auctions, Bingo, kiddie rides, etc, with the atmosphere of a fair ground.
“The KJT grounds provide plenty of space and is the perfect backdrop for a bazaar with ample parking, space for booths, tents and easy crowd access,” Deagen said. “And the fun carnival atmosphere is provided by the people! Many facets must come together to make the bazaar a success, beginning with the KJT.”
The 2007 St. John Bazaar will take place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15-16 at the KJT.
Super Raffle prize tickets are on sale now at various business locatons thoughout Ennis. Sponsors for the Super Raffle are: Platinum Sponsor: JUST WIN. The Corea Firm P.L.L.C. Trial Lawyers; Gold Sponsors: Ennis Ford Mercury and GLOBE Products Co., Inc.; and Silver Sponsors include: Ennis State Bank and ACTION POWERSPORTS. Additional sponsors will be announced at the Bazaar.
Officers of the KJT for 2007 are Joe Landsfeld, President, Judy Strunc, Secretary Treasurer, and Jean P. Beebe, Vice President. 2007 Bazaar Committee: Larry Deagen, Chairman, Members: William Becker, Sergio Diaz, Maggie Holy, Carol Honza, Dolores McKibbin, Tony Medina, Jeanette Murphy, Cheryl O’Brien, John Payne, Linda Robledo Kieth Sibley and Barbara Sims.
“The KJT officers and members extend a huge ‘thank you’ to the entire community for their support of St. John School in any and every capacity,” Landsfeld said. “It is our hope that we can keep the school that we attended, open for the education of future generations.”
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