Williamsville store to host WNY artist, benefit Army Medical Center

Artist Carol Culhane works on her ornaments which feature patriotic themes. She will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 to personalize her designs for customers. A portion of the proceeds go to help servicemen at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Laura Scalfani, owner of Carousel Clothing & Collectibles, will host a Christmas open house at her shop, 6094 Main St., near Youngs Road, Williamsville, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9.

This year she has added a new feature to allow her customers to reach out to the wounded servicemen and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

As part of the event, Albion artist Carol Culhane will be on site to personalize her original design ornaments, which feature patriotic themes and Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps insignia, as well as traditional Christmas and holiday designs.

This will be Culhane's only visit to Amherst this year. She has donated a variety of her work to honor and memorialize service persons, including a memorial poster for the 98th Division stationed in Rochester. The poster pictures two native Western New Yorkers, Lt. Col. Terrance Crowe of Grand Island and Staff Sgt. Christopher Dill of Buffalo, a Buffalo firefighter.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the ornaments will be given to Bob Kunkel to support the work he does with the wounded at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Kunkel, a severely wounded Vietnam veteran from Niagara Falls, has been making the trip to Walter Reed for the past four years to visit the wounded.

Having found a calling to work with the wounded troops, using his own experience and his skills in the martial arts, his goal is to motivate and educate.

Often, he will incorporate a dinner out on the town with as many as 20 of those he calls the

Wounded Warriors." All this is done with his own money.

For Scalfani, this year's Christmas open house seemed the perfect opportunity to help Kunkel's cause.

In addition to the sale of ornaments to benefit the troops, there will be refreshments, a gourmet tasting table, unusual Christmas gifts and décor, and special discounts.

For more information, call 634-5959.