Hi-Line Living: 2015 Hands on History

From gold panning and paper doll making, to old-time clothes washing and apple peeling, the 11th Annual Hands On History fundraiser filled Holiday Village Mall Saturday.

This year, 32 activities were set up for people to learn about how things used to be done before electricity.

Allison Keeley, a co-chair of the event, said this year's turnout was "fantastic" and that 150 volunteers participated this year.

"We've had an excellent turnout - tons of volunteers," she said.

Keeley said 20 activities were free due to businesses and community members sponsoring them.

"(There were) only about 12 of them that actually cost (tickets)," she said.

Keeley added that her favorite part about being involved with this event is seeing how engaged the kids get.

"To go out there and see the kids really enjoying every single activity, paying attention, being polite, watching and learning something new is really important to me," she said.

Judy Jones, a volunteer at the old-time clothes washing station, said she has been involved with the event for years. Ringers, tubs, clotheslines and pins were incorporated at this station.

"It's to show them the difference between washing machines and how (people in the past) scrubbed, cleaned their clothes and ringed them out," she said.

Eli Salapich, a volunteer at the gold panning station, said he has been volunteering at this event for four or five years.

"They (got) a cup a dirt, and then we put it in the pan, (washed) the dirt away and the gold (showed) up - the gold (was) little black flakes," he said.

Salapich said his favorite part about volunteering is working with the kids.

"It just gives the kids something to do. It shows them what history is like - we haven't always had smartphones and iPads," he said.

Johnathan Pursley, 4, took part in the gold panning. He said he had fun looking for gold and that his favorite part was finding "the money."

The proceeds from this event will go toward the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation.