On Saturday afternoon the United Church Hall in Shawville was packed with red-clad attendees for the annual Valentines Tea. 

Organizer Heather Dale said that while she and Hailey Murray had been the key organizers of the event for several years, the tradition dates back for more than a decade with various groups of United Church Women. 

“It’s one of those traditional teas that used to be a little more common,” she said. “Not as many in the area anymore so we wanted to continue this for the people who look forward to it and enjoy it.”

She said that they have around 15 people who donate food to the event, and a team of around eight who prepare and serve it on the day of. She said that attendance was slightly lower than in years past, perhaps caused by the cold weather.

Dale said that the United Church Women donate to a variety of causes throughout the year, including church projects as well as some in the community at large.