Bazaar brings warmth to a cold weekend
While the temperature outside was low, it was a warm and welcoming afternoon in the church for the Bazaar.
The Presbyterian Church’s holiday bazaar last weekend brought the community out in force to enjoy a delicious meal, desserts, arts and crafts, an auction, and a chance to visit with friends and neighbors.
The event has been a highlight of the season for nearly the last eight and a half decades, being started at the outset of World War II to provide soldiers shipping out some of the necessities and reminders of home the community felt they might need. Over time, many of the specifics of the event have changed, but the essential mission of providing support to those who need it, and in the process bringing together the community as a whole in the spirit of Thanksgiving has remained the same.
Marilyn Kukachka, one of several organizers of the event, explained that “So many people helped us--I think we had around 35 people helping Saturday and that doesn't include some women who helped make some of the potatoes and pies.” In articles as far back as I have been able to find them, the food involved in the feast (and especially the pies!) are given full prominence, and it’s no wonder why. Saturday’s dinner was a traditional Thanksgiving spread, with turkey and gravy, potatoes, stuffing, yams/sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It would have been profoundly impossible for anyone who attended to leave hungry, and Pastor Nathan Sobers encouraged everyone who walked in the door to make themselves at home, fill their stomachs, and stay as long as they’d like.
The food, as well as the setup cleanup, serving, and other essential elements of the event were a combined effort of the many people Kukuachka alluded to. “The 5th ward supplied some of the pies and potatoes, the Bishop's wife made baby quilts, and lots of people of various faiths, or having no religious leanings, showed up.”
Kukachka noted that while “it used to be called the Presbyterian Women Annual Harvest Bazaar, our men certainly help out also, and we dropped the PW part a few years ago.” In similar fashion, the volunteers included members from all around the community.
In addition to the food, a lot of impressive and interesting items were up for auction and sale, including crafts and baked goods. Some of the highlights included a lovely, masterfully crafted quilt, a hand made silver/turquoise/onyx necklace made by Zuni artists, original paintings, large afghan, and a multitude of smaller holiday crafts including lovely quilled ornaments.
The 50/50 raffle, which was conducted during the duration of the event, was won by Melissa Gallegos.
Organizers reported that they served about 380 meals, over 2/3 of which were take-outs. Volunteers in the kitchen kept up a consistent hum of activity all morning, as food orders were packed up and shipped out or sent off with the hundreds who availed themselves of the feast.
In the past, the organizers have used donations raised at the bazaar to help with some very ambitious projects. In particular, the church has assisted with clean water/well projects in various villages in Africa. Kukachka stated, “We gave money to help complete a well in Ethiopia 6 weeks ago, and also recently gave money to help keep our two Ghana wells maintained. The theme this year was Around the World—sharing our blessings and having greater awareness of people around the world. We tied in our decorations and some of our crafts and auction listings to that theme, with items from Israel, Spain, Africa as well as native Zuni artists.”
She mentioned a few other projects that the church has been considering both abroad and more local. As soon as the church has decided on what it plans to do with this year’s funds, we will update readers with those plans.
The success of this year’s Bazaar is a testament to the generosity and spirit of giving among Caribou County residents, but also a reminder that everyone regardless of their place in life or the community has an innate need to gather and spend time among friends, especially as the days grow colder and darker on the calendar path to Christmas, and the season of lights.
