Pictured (l-r) Bill Roe and Mike Welsh making a presentation to Shannon Currington and Bill Sims at Mountain Pine School

The 2010 Ham Sales Project was deemed a success as $2,300 was raised to benefit 16 area needy families who have students in an Alternative Learning Environment (ALE) program (6) as well as students in Mountain Pine (6), Fountain Lake (3), and Jessieville (1).  Gift cards in the $125 - $225 range were given to parents of eligible students as identified by school personnel. 

Project chairman Bill Roe was assisted by co-chair Mike Welsh, adviser Milt Spaniel, and accountant Ed Keearns.  Salesmen ("hamsters") included Jack Barrett, Roger Bresnahan, Ed Cudworth, Jim Elder, Bill Hartnett, Dave Johnston, Scott Krantz, Bill Nosek, Clyde Porterfield, Larry Stein, and John Sutey. 

This project was started by the knights several years ago, and it has gradually been expanded and formalized.  Council 10208 gets favorable pricing on Petit Jean products from the Morrilton Packing Company, which has also been donating 70 lbs of ham for the annual Fall Fest fundraiser.  This year 141 orders accounted for 199 products being purchased with an option by the patrons to designate the items for either Thanksgiving or Christmas and to have the products shipped or picked up at the A&E Bldg on one of two dates.

The top five hamsters accounting for 71% of the sales were Mike Welsh (40), Bill Nosek (35), Ed Cudworth    (27), Bill Hartnett (23), and Bill Roe (17).   A conservative estimate of the hours expended by the knights for this project is 138.  This year's project has already been critiqued with suggestions for improvement in 2011.