Mark Knauff, owner of Warm Woods of Clifton, makes handmade Adirondack chairs, and he hopes to use his talent to raise money for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
TOWARD THAT end, he'll be raffling off one of his chairs and a matching footstool, this Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Clifton Farmer's Market. Raffle tickets are $5 apiece, and he'd be delighted if their total sale could amount to $1,000 to contribute.
After the hurricane, said Knauff, "I decided to turn my feelings of helplessness into action. My goal is to turn this chair and stool into as much money as possible, like 200-plus tickets, and give the proceeds to two organizations helping the hurricane victims."
These organizations are the American Red Cross and Lutheran Disaster Response. "My dad's a retired Lutheran minister, and I know the money will go to the people who need it, not to administrative costs," he explained. "I basically want to find a way that'll help people contribute."
Donations may also be made directly to these groups at www.redcross.org or ELCA.org (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).
Knauff is one of the regular vendors at the farmer's market, which is held Sundays from 8 a.m.-noon on Chapel Road in Clifton. His chair and stool normally sell for $273 but, in this instance, he's hoping for a much larger total so he may contribute it to help the hurricane victims.
SECOND PRIZE in the raffle is $50 worth of bee/honey products donated by Tom and Terri Merz of T & T Apiaries in Centreville. Their basket of goodies is on display at the Clifton Coffee Mill on Clifton's Main Street. Third prize is $75 worth of Zoob construction toys donated by Jacquie Lambertson of Clifton toy store, Noodles & Noggins.
Tickets may be purchased at: The Clifton Coffee Mill, Kathryn's Tailoring (downstairs from the Coffee Mill), the Clifton Saddlery, Noodles & Noggins and Play it Again Sports (in the Colonnade at Union Mill shopping center). They'll also be available at the farmer's market until the drawing, which will be held this Sunday at noon. Winners need not be present.
Added Knauff: "Sept. 11 was chosen as the drawing day in hopes of rekindling the coming-together feeling from that day, four years ago." For more details, contact him at warmwoodsofclifton@cox.net or at 703-209-2406.