Americraft Cookware News

Good first day at the Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show
Exhibitors show wares at coliseum.

By Bob Caylor
of The News-Sentinel

Thousands of people turned out Thursday for the first day of the Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show at Memorial Coliseum. Hundreds of exhibitors were ready to welcome them.

“This is a good show. It always has been,” said Stuart Mayo, of Dallas, who spent the day demonstrating Kitchen Craft cookware for small audiences during the show. The point of his attendance is selling cookware, but en route to separating the merely curious from the serious prospects in his audiences, he finds time to preach the virtues of his brand of kitchen gear. In his relaxed pitches, he weaves old wisecracks that still evoke smiles from the would-be customers.

“There's a young couple! Are you still happy, or are you married?” he called out.

It's all in a day's work for Mayo. Together with his wife, Linda, he travels the country most of the time, staffing such events as the Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show. Though officially he and his wife are Dallas residents, he said they spend most of the time crisscrossing Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, demonstrating cookware.

Though it may come as a surprise to many people in Fort Wayne, he sees the city's economic vigor, too. “At least Fort Wayne hasn't been hit like a lot of towns have,” he said.

Americraft's Partnership in Patriotism scholarship program is a writing competition that offers high school students pursuing a college education an opportunity to express their views on American issues.

Contestants write an 800- to 1,000-word essay based on an annual patriotic theme. The theme for 2010 is the importance of buying products that are made in the United States.

"In these difficult economic times, buying American - and buying local - is something everyone should think about," State Fair Director Dan O'Hara said. "We are extremely pleased that Americraft has chosen to highlight this issue again this year, and grateful for the assistance they will provide to a New York family trying to send a deserving son or daughter to college."

Last year, Olivia Tyler from Campbell-Savona High School near Corning won the scholarship. She read her essay, ""Buying American, Building American, Being American," before thousands of people gathered in Chevy Court for the Sara Evans concert.

Only one essay will be accepted from each school to be judged for the $2,500 scholarship. All scholarships will be paid directly to an American university or college.

Completed applications and essays will be accepted by the Fair's scholarship committee until April 15, 2010. The winner will be notified by May 15, 2010.

In addition to the $2,500 scholarship, the winner of the essay competition will once again get to read his or her composition from the Chevy Court stage on the opening day of the New York State Fair.

Americraft is an American cookware company with a manufacturing plant in West Bend, Wisconsin, and Corporate offices in Mt. Dora, Florida. It produces the Healthy Gourmet and the Kitchen Craft cookware brands, doing all manufacturing and assembly work within the United States. For more information about the company, visit its Website: http://www.americraftcookware.com.

All entries should be typed and double-spaced. Each one should have a cover sheet that includes the author's name, address, high school, phone number and a paragraph summarizing his or her college and career goals. They should be sent to:

Partnership in Patriotism
c/o The New York State Fair
581 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, N.Y. 13209

Contestants must be high school juniors or seniors currently attending school in New York State.