Lions Club’s Handmade Nativity Sets Celebrate the Season

In honor of the Christmas holiday, the Pleasant Gap Lions Club will be selling handmade nativity scenes to raise funding for its numerous community service projects.

Lions Club member Dave Walker said since he began building the seven piece nativity sets in 1998, more than 500 have been sold.

Made out of plywood and covered with two coats of exterior white paint, the seven piece set comes apart and is able to lay flat for storage.

“You can store them in a closet or under a bed. They are very easy to put together. They just slide together with slots. There’s no screws or bolts or nails to hold them together,” Walker said.

And though he has made up to 54 sets in the past, Walker said because of the work that goes into making the wooden nativity scenes, only 30 have been made for this year’s Christmas season.

Because of this, Walker said area residents looking to purchase a set should do so as soon as possible, as the sets are sold on a first-come first-serve basis. As the nativity sets have sold out in years past, Walker will be taking orders for next year’s holiday season.

“We encourage people to help us by buying the scenes. It helps us to raise funds to do the things we do to help people in the community,” Walker said. “It’s just trying help make the community better and have a better and brighter future.”

Funding raised by the nativity set sales will added to the Lion’s Club general budget, aiding programs like Little League teams, local fire companies and local food banks. Nativity proceeds will also provide funding to the Lion’s Club eye care program, which helps those in need with eye testing and eye glasses purchases.

“We try to do good throughout the community and help folks who are in need,” Walker said.

And as a Christian organization, Walker said the Lions Club believes selling nativity sets is the perfect way to raise money during the holiday season.

“You don’t have to be (a Christian) to belong, but we have Christian morals and we believe it is a good project because it celebrates the birth of Christ at Christmas time,” he said.

For more information, call (814) 359-2546 or Ed Rose at the Barber Shop in Pleasant Gap at (814) 359-2798.