SATURDAY Market opens under sunny ski

SATURDAY Market gives the volunteers at Special Olympics a chance to raise some money for their special cause.

Havre Daily News/Nikki Carlson

Ike Waldner, right, of the Hartland Colony sells produce to a lady at the annual SATURDAY Market in Town Square Saturday morning. The SATURDAY Market runs through Sept. 17 from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday. The event is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. See Friday's Hi-Line Living page for more photographs of the SATURDAY Market.

And its gives them a chance to get the word out about the program.

They were successful on both counts Saturday morning, the first day of the market on Town Square in downtown Havre.

Special Olympics volunteers Vicki Hayes, Nancy Veneable and Lindy Danielson joined with athlete Eric Thompson in pushing their products — and their cause — to the shoppers and browsers at the market.

"Things are going really well," said Veneable, standing in the Special Olympics booth. "We sold out of some of our coffee, we sold out of the people treats and we sold a lot of dog treats," she said.

They expect great things from SATURDAY Market this year. Traditionally, even more people show up later in the season, they said, as more products become available and word of mouth provides good publicity.

The money they raise will go toward helping the athletes at the ever-growing number of of projects Special Olympics sponsors.

They have recently added snowshoeing and downhill skiing to the list, which means programs are offered nearly year-round, Hayes said.

They will be at SATURDAY Market for the rest of the season, which runs through the fall.

At other booths, people were having an equally good time.

Linda Rawn had a variety of objects for sale at her table.

People could buy her nature photographs — some from Wisconsin and Iowa, but most of the beauty of Montana's hi-Line.

Or, she offered some of professor Bill Thackeray's books.

And there were some homemade pillows and her excellent fabrics.

"People have been coming by all morning, stopping and looking," Rawn said.

I like being with people, so this is great for me," she said.