J.D. Potié
Shawville Nov. 30, 2019
St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall was bursting with people on Saturday, as over 100 people sought out the . . .
best deals on holiday-themed crafts and homemade baked goods during its annual Christmas Bazaar and Tea.
One of the event’s organizers, Diane Judd, explained that the event was a collaboration of the town’s Anglican Young Women’s Association (AYWA) and Holy Trinity church in Radford with the purpose of raising funds for the church’s winter upkeep.
“At the year-end we donate our money to the church to cover expenses,” she said
All around the hall, crowds of people migrated towards several tables topped with large collections of fresh baked good and hand-crafted Christmas decorations.
In the kitchen, around a dozen volunteers prepared all sorts of bite-sized sandwiches, home-made pastries and tea for attendees to snack on while they took a break from all their shopping.
Judd claimed that the event has been taking place annually long before the church’s hall was built in the 1950s, or the formation of the AYWA in the 1970s.
For Judd, organizing the event brings a great sense of joy because it brings together so many people in the community to socialize while supporting the church.
“It’s always an opportunity to get together with your friends and have tea and do a little shopping,” she said. “We support one another. We go to the teas of the other churches and hope they come here.”
Typically, the event raises around $3,000 for the church, Judd said.
