On July 31, over 100 Pontiac residents gathered at the Jack Graham Community Centre in Bristol to socialize, feast on some treats and find the best . . .

deals in town during the community’s annual coffee party and sale fundraiser.

Put on by the Norway Bay Bristol Historical Society (NBBHS), the event consisted of a community get together where folks could purchase a variety of homespun products and mouth-watering delicacies while raising money for the community organization.

In a farmer’s market-style setting, dozens of local artisans and merchants stood behind their kiosks loaded with all sorts of books, homemade pastries and household products while folks roamed the room looking for a tasty treat to take home.

All of the food on hand was provided by local donators and prepared by volunteers, NBBS Chair Bonnie Beveridge said.

A silent auction, featuring all sorts of products donated by local residents, sat on a table in the middle of the room.

One of the spots that attracted the most clientele throughout the luncheon was the NBBHS History Corner piled up with binders containing old, black and white photographs and newspaper clippings from back in the day.

According to Beveridge, nearly half of the residences in Norway Bay and the Bristol Village have their own historical binders filled with collections of old pictures, birth certificates, death records so people can look back on their roots. More binders are continuing to be made, Beveridge said.

“We want people to have their own binder,” she said. “Anytime there’s a birth, a wedding, unfortunately a death or adding onto their building or that sort of thing we put it in the books. Out of 600 residences, we’ve got about 300.”

During the event, Beveridge explained that the fundraiser means more to the village than just a means of raising money, as it is also a great excuse to get people together.

“The ideal is not only to sell as a fundraiser,” she said. “It’s a gathering. This is why we have the kitchen set up so people can have something to eat. This is why they enjoy it so much. There’s a whole bunch of people saying they haven’t seen each other this summer. This is the second most important thing about it.”

As the organization’s only fundraiser of the year, the event consistently draws plenty of familiar faces and raises anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000 annually, according to Beveridge.

With such a large crowd of folks packing the place for the event, Beveridge couldn’t have been more thrilled with how the fundraiser turned out.

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