Alabama Wildlife Center’s holiday event filled with food, fun

The Alabama Wildlife Center will host its annual Holiday Craft and Bake Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Veterans Park.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Alabama Wildlife Center, Alabama’s oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation facility, located at Oak Mountain State Park. The nonprofit organization cares for almost 2,000 wild bird patients from more than 100 species each year.

Executive Director Doug Adair said the event outgrew the space at the Wildlife Center headquarters several years ago, so they moved to Veterans Park, which has been a good location for foot traffic.

“We’ve really enjoyed having the event there and have a great partnership with the city of Hoover,” Adair said.

The event will feature items to make holiday entertaining easier, including homemade frozen casseroles, pies and cakes, cookies, jellies and jams. Along with the food items, there will be a selection of nature-themed holiday items, including hand-sewn blankets, wall hangings, original artwork, Christmas ornaments, bird houses, bird feeders and more.

There won’t be individual vendors, but volunteers and supporters can donate items to be sold to raise money for the Wildlife Center.

“We offer non-traditional vendors,” Adair said. “It’s cozier with our volunteers and supporters who want to donate items to benefit the wildlife center.”

Headquartered in a pavilion near the volleyball courts, there will be a birds of prey show and photos with Santa. A children’s craft will also be available, along with refreshments.

Although the event is based on the craft and bake sale, Adair said it is actually a lot more than that.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet our glovetrained raptors up close, visit with Santa, do some holiday gift shopping, and [it’s] just a fun time for the family.”

The event is one of several fundraisers held by the Wildlife Center each year, and Adair said the funds raised are instrumental in allowing them to care for the rehabilitation patients.

“This is a key fundraiser that allows us to deliver the care that these injured and orphaned animals in need,” he said. “It also allows us to deliver more than 500 conservation education programs we do every year throughout the state of Alabama.”

Adair said the unique part of the center’s conservation education is its ability to use the rehabilitation programs as a backdrop to introduce people to native raptors. None of that would be possible and it could not fulfill its mission without the resources that come from the Holiday Craft and Bake Sale and those who believe in what the center does and want to contribute.

“It’s a great opportunity to help a wonderful cause, take care of your holiday shopping needs and make your holiday entertaining easy as well,” Adair said. “It’s a win-win situation for folks who come.”

There is no admission for the event. For more information, visit alabamawildlifecenter.org.