By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Santa Claus usually comes to town in mid-to-late December. This year, nearly 1,300 Santa Clauses and other holiday-themed ornaments are coming to Great Bend early as part of the National Wood Carvers Association’s Holiday Ornament Share and Care Campaign. Local accountant Barry Bowers doubles as a board member for the NWCA. He volunteered office space for the campaign, which grew from nearly 300 pieces last year to nearly 1,300 in just its second year. After judging, the ornaments will be donated to various charities, including children's hospitals and care centers.
“In my mind, I thought if we could double that, or even hit 600, that would be pretty cool,” Bower said. “We did way better than, so it’s pretty exciting to see them come in.”
Carvers had until Nov. 1 to submit their pieces. Awards will be handed out for the 10 best pieces, and additional awards will be given to the club or organization that submits the most pieces, and another award will be given to the individual who submits the most ornaments. Some individuals mailed more than four dozen entries.
“We’re trying to make it fun for the carvers and encourage them, but it also gets the numbers up, too,” Bowers said.
Bowers, a notable carver of Santas, said many of the ornaments are holiday themed, but the campaign brings in a large mix of talent and ideas. One carver submitted a box of tiny fish ornaments.
“They’re very realistic,” said Bowers. “A friend of mine is a fisherman. I showed him the fish, and he said they’re amazing, as far as the detail for being so small. Another guy sent in some birds. There’s just a little bit of everything.”
A nationally-recognized carver judged the contest last year, and will return to Great Bend on Sunday to review this year’s submissions. Based on last year’s much smaller candidate pool, Bowers expects a full afternoon of selecting pieces.
“He goes through them and picks out any special ones” Bowers said. “He’s looking for uniqueness, quality, complexity. Last year, we had probably three dozen he pulled out of there.”
Last year’s contest awarded just the top three submissions. This year’s contest has expanded the prize list, as well as encouraging multiple submissions with the other quantity-based prizes.
“Trying to pick that second and third place was pretty tough,” said Bowers. “We talked about it then about maybe it would be better to judge more or create some different prizes. We decided to judge the top 10.”
Photos of select submissions are available at chipchats.org. The NWCA Board also publishes Chipchat Magazine, which will also feature photos of the winners and their prizes later this year.
For Bowers and local carvers, the hobby is a year-round activity. The Great Bend Public Library typically sponsors a woodcarving night shortly after the new year. The local club also meets at the Great Bend Senior Center every Thursday.
“Unless it’s a holiday, we carve from 6:30-8:30 p.m., basically,” Bowers said. “We have all different levels of carvers - everything from beginners to people who have carved several years.”
Annual dues for the local club is $25. The fee covers a carving knife and a few wood blocks for beginners.