Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
QUYON Nov. 18, 2017
With their local community centre under construction, the Quyon United Church decided to host a harvest tea in lieu of a supper this year.
But despite this minor setback, and the worry that the freezing rain would scare away some, the church basement was soon packed with guests sipping tea and the organizers were quick to keep tables full of sandwiches and sweet bites.

“This is a new venture for us, because usually we have a harvest supper at the community centre,” said Elizabeth Young, one of the event organizers. “That’s why it’s become a harvest tea.”
Although they weren’t expecting their usual numbers for turnout this year – generally between 225 and 250 people attend the supper – they still decided to keep their gathering as traditional as they could. This meant continuing the raffle for a handmade blanket, donated by Bob and Mary-Ellen Young, a draw that has seen tickets sold since Thanksgiving.
Mary-Ellen has donated a blanket for the past five years, after she had already gifted friends and family members with them for some time. While spending the winter in Florida, creating the fall donation becomes her project, taking roughly two months to complete, as she uses the Swedish weaving method.
“It’s done on a special cloth, called Monk’s cloth,” she said. “If you look on the back side, you won’t see any stitches.”
Also accompanying the tea, and exciting for the younger crowd, was a bottle drive. For two bucks, you grabbed a ticket with a number and matched it to one of the bottles on the table to determine your prize. Little ones ran back to their parents excitedly, laughing as they showed off their prized soap, condiments or snacks that they’d proudly plucked from the table.
Organized by the church’s United Women’s League and put on with the assistance of over 20 volunteers, the tea, raffle and bottle drive fundraised entirely for the Quyon church. Ongoing fundraising efforts will continue with the Christmas House Tour on the evening of Dec. 4.