With more than a hundred baskets donated, St John’s Basket Bazaar heads for a record
St John’s second-biggest fund-raising event of the year is nearing, and is on course to repeat the success of previous years. Last year, more than 80 baskets were presented, and ticket sales raised over half of the $7,780 total made by the Bazaar. So far this year more than a hundred baskets have been donated, and the Bazaar’s organizers are expecting a record total number.
The Bazaar itself takes place on Saturday November 8th, from 9am to 2pm, in the church hall, and there’s a “Basket Preview Party” the night before, complete with entertainment, as well as free cake!
After the carnival, the Basket Bazaar raises the second biggest sum for church funds. Kathy Cole, who heads the planning and management of the Carnival in July, says the entertainment itself is staged by a commercial enterprise, the Basket Bazaar is all our own work. “For the Carnival we are doing more peripheral activities, such as selling tickets and providing parking, but the Basket Bazaar is our own work and effort. Like the Carnival, what we raise helps run the church as well as meeting our other commitments.”
Kathy Cole, Basket Bazaar Chairman (right), Lynne Lersch (left) and Cheryl Rutherford have visited many neighborhood shops and restaurants to solicit donations for the Bazaar. Carolyn Miller (center) organizes the Preview Party.
In previous years baskets have varied widely in their contents and in the themes that donors have chosen. They include non-perishable food and wine, toiletries, games, gardening, sports, pets, children and restaurant trips, but many others too.
Don’t let the challenge of presenting your donations put you off: Lynne Lersch and Cheryl Rutherford have a magic touch in packing appealing, professional-looking baskets. There is a basket sign-up sheet in the narthex, and baskets can be delivered during church office hours – 9am to 12.45pm, and on Sundays until Sunday November 2nd.
Kitchen, puzzle, seafood and child themes in some of last year’s baskets.
A table of gift certificates – with cards from merchants and restaurants in the area, and a ukulele from the former Stewarts Music Shop. The way the Bazaar works is that you buy tickets and place as many as you like in the plastic tub next to each basket and each gift certificate. Whoever owns the ticket drawn at random from the tubs wins that basket or certificate.
As well as the baskets themselves, there will be a sale of “attic treasures” for which donations are also being sought. They include those items with real value but which you’re ready to part with, jewelry, kitchen ware, gardening items, puzzles, Christmas decorations and so on, perhaps not-needed gifts, new or lightly used. Clothes, cutlery and crockery tend not to sell, however. Please leave your contributions in the slype any time until Wednesday November 5th.
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A home-cooked lunch will also be available between 11am and 1pm, including our popular clam chowder, and Moroccan Split Pea Soup.
There will also be a cake sale, and contributions – whether bought or homemade - will be gratefully accepted from Friday evening (November 7th) until Saturday morning. Attic treasures and the cake table are a big part of the Bazaar: last year they raised $1,800 and $525 respectively, with sales of lunches, headed by Judy Cook, earning $686, and Val Graley’s Christmas ornaments $275.
Baskets awaiting contributions. Some of the “baskets” themselves could prove useful.
Lynne Lersch and Cheryl Rutherford, the master basket wrappers, transforming donated items into magnificent basket packages.
For parishioners who can’t get to the Bazaar on the morning of Saturday 8th, there’ll be a preview party, “Friday Night Lights at St John’s”, the day before. It takes place between 3pm and 6pm, and will be a chance to see, and bid for, the baskets, as well as to check out attic treasures. There will be free cake, made by Carolyn Miller, and the chance to buy extra pieces!
From 3 until 4pm, there will be entertainment, provided by St John’s parishioner Sal Basile, a singer and guitarist who performs top 40 songs from the ‘60s to the present. Sal, whose Facebook page is under Salvatore Basile, performs solo and as a member of a band, in a variety of local venues. Come along at 3pm to enjoy the show!
Please do contribute a basket – or two! – to the Bazaar, and come along to support the event. If you have any questions, Kathy Cole, would be happy to help (860 884 2413).