Bicentennial Committee offers limited-edition Folk Art Santa

MILLBURY —  The Millbury Bicentennial Committee will offer a limited-edition Millbury Bicentennial Vaillancourt Folk Art Santa to commemorate the town’s upcoming 200th anniversary.

Two hundred of the hand-painted and numbered chalkware figurines will be produced, which will be available for preorder beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 18 at Millbury Savings Bank, 109 Elm St. Proceeds will help fund the town’s bicentennial events planned for 2012 to 2013.

Figurines numbered 2 to 199 will be available for $150 each. To view a sample, call Karen Butler at (508) 581-6221 or Heather Hey at (508) 581-6223, or visit the bank. Payment is due in full at the time the order is placed.

Figurines numbered 1 and 200 will be awarded in two separate raffles, limited to 100 tickets apiece, to be held in 2011 for No. 1 and in 2012 for No. 200. Raffle tickets for figurine No. 1 are $20 each and will also be available at the bank Oct. 18. For more information, call Jane Backholm at (508) 865-5811.

Vaillancourt Folk Art of Sutton created the original Santa; the company is nationally known for its highly detailed and hand-painted heirlooms made from antique molds. The Millbury Bicentennial’s Santa is 6 inches tall and is dressed in the town’s traditional maroon. His gold sack holds a single lamb symbolizing the town’s rich history in the wool manufacturing industry, and is reminiscent of the Millbury Woolies mascot.