Over the past eight years, members of the local Kiwanis Club have used their annual Home and Garden Show to raise more than $61,000 for numerous projects in Ellsworth and beyond.

Those projects have included student scholarships, the annual science fair at Kanopolis Middle School, maintenance of the Scout building in the south part of town and support of the Ellsworth Child Care and Learning Center, a summer leadership program for students, the newly-opened Splash Pad in Preisker Park ... the list goes on.

Organizers hope to add another few thousand to their total when this year’s Kiwanis Club Home and Garden Show kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 21, in the ECMC Administration Building, north of the hospital.

The show, which continues until 3 p.m., is actually three events in one. Home show vendors will share space with the Ellsworth County Medical Center Health Fair and a garage and bake sale sponsored by the ECMC Auxiliary.

Kiwanis Club member Anita Hoffhines said the shows typically draw about 300 mostly local spectators, which is attractive for companies that do business in Ellsworth County but don’t have a physical presence here.

As of this week, 17 vendors had reserved booth space and more was available for late entries.

Another attraction, Hoffhines said, is the gun raffle the Kiwanis Club added to the show four years ago.

The $100 tickets are limited to 20, which gives buyers a one in 10 chance to win a gun, Hoffhines said.

“No matter how you feel about guns, they’re a great fundraiser,” she said.

The Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter, which publishes the show’s program magazine, also donated the yearly $500 as a door prize, which will be drawn at the close of the show. There is no admission fee. Look for the program magazine in the March 19 edition of the I-R.

Hoffhines, who has been in charge of the show since it started in 2012, this year turned over command to fellow Kiwanis members Phillip DeCouteau and Carolyn Graves. They are employed at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility — Sgt. DeCouteau as head of the bike shop and other inmate programs and Graves as policy & compliance/public information officer.

Graves said the pair are feeling their way since this is their first year in charge. Hoffhines continues to serve as their coach.

“We are very open to new ideas and concepts,” Graves said.

Vendors include C&V Doors, a Great Bend company that has been at the show since it started; Eagle Communications, First Bank Kansas, Millwood Realty, Panzers Wood Craft, Picture Perfect Satellite Service, Pools Plus of Salina, R&R Street Plumbing, Renewal by Anderson, Right Track Foundation, Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation, Watkins Products and Wilson Communications.

Vendor space or gun raffle tickets are still available by calling Graves at (785) 531-1681.

SPRING FACTS

• WHAT: Kiwanis Club Home and Garden Show, Ellsworth County Medical Center Health Fair and auxiliary bake and garage sale.

• WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 21.

• WHERE: Administration building north of ECMC.