The organisers of CAWC Holiday Bazaar made sure not to let the pandemic put a halt to their fundraiser for charity MNDA Breathing Support Project.
Maggie Ahmadi, from Chalfont St Peter and Kate Harman, from Beaconsfield are the organisers of the bazaar and members of CAWC International, a women’s philanthropic club based in the Chilterns.
They came up with a plan to raise money without the crowds. Instead of one big, teeming, holiday bazaar, with over a hundred vendors and thousands of shoppers, they would have a series of smaller events, each held outdoors or online.
So far, their efforts have raised over £11,000, with more coming in as Christmas bake sales and basket sales continue into December.
The organisers didn’t want to let the charity down and Kate said: “We can do this. We just need to think outside the box. Our club’s future depends on it.”
In July, the club sponsored a “Christmas in July” online sale from Brilliant Little Brands, followed by an in-person “Summer Garden Party” hosted in a member’s garden.
A Jumblebee online auction with 40 prizes raised a whopping £3,800 in November. A Just Giving page gave people an opportunity to contribute directly and raised over £1,400.
The bake sales continued throughout the autumn and included Thanksgiving and Christmas treats, with member Katie Elliott baking enough cookies to raise around £2,000.
Fundraising will continue throughout December, with a cheque going to the MNDA in January.
An MNDA spokesperson commented: “The CAWC International is doing an amazing job in these difficult times, fundraising to support a Motor Neurone Disease Breathing Support Project in the Chilterns.
As a result of the CAWC 33rd annual charity Christmas Bazaar, we hope to start the project in January 2021. The aim is to offer high quality respiratory assessment and clinical support for patients and their carers, focussing on the quality of life for those living with this terrible disease.
The project will be based at the Florence Nightingale Hospice, Stoke Mandeville Hospital.”
If you’d like to contribute to the club’s Just Giving page in support of the MNDA, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cawc-international2021.
For information about the club, visit their website.
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