MOTHERS ACTING UP ALTERNATIVE GIFT FAIR 2007
The commercial—er Christmas-- season seems to come earlier every year. Department stores have been displaying lit trees and plush Santa Claus dolls for weeks, catalogs brimming with must-have holiday gift items are pouring into mailboxes, television ads are already drowning consumers with ads that all but cry out “buy people more stuff; it’s what the season is all about anyway!”
No wonder more people are depressed during the holidays than any other time of year!
There is, however, another idea of what the holiday season should represent—community, charitable giving, celebrating the love of family and friends. Enter the second annual Mothers Acting Up Alternative Gift Fair , a different (and far more fun) shopping option for area gift givers that will be held in the First Presbyterian Church of Harbor Springs fellowship hall on Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Imagine walking into a room full of holiday cheer—music playing, the smells of fresh baked goods and cider lolling through the air—a place where shopping is actually a stress-free, social event. Tables are set up to display the work of a variety of local non-profit organizations, as well as a few tables of traditional holiday gifts (beautifully hand-crafted items by local artisans, along with books and games for children), all benefiting charity.
A shopping list is presented upon arrival, and on it ranges gifts from a $10 donation to feed the fish at SEE-North to several hundred dollars for much needed equipment at the Community Free Clinic. Each organization present offer levels of giving that provide for a specific need, and offer cards describing these gifts that are personalized by calligraphers on-hand for the event.
People come to shop, but stay—sometimes for hours-- to chat with friends, take in the chamber music, and share in the community that is created when the idea of “more fun, less stuff” comes to life.
This was exactly the scene at last year’s alternative gift fair—an event that raised some $10,000 for local charities—and anyone who attended can attest that this one-of-a-kind of shopping day is truly an experience to remember.
According to a recent poll, more than 84-percent of Americans wish that holidays were less material. In response, these special events-- charity shopping malls if you will-- are sprouting up across the country. The Center for the New American Dream, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Americans consume responsibly, reported in 2004 alone, Alternative Gift Fairs popped up in 17 states, raising more than $150,000 for charity.
This year, the Mothers Acting Up Alternative Gift Fair will expand to bring in even more local charities and holiday cheer. We hope to double the number of shoppers that walk through the doors, and double the amount of money we raised in 2006. Please mark your calendars for December 1, and join other members of our community in celebrating the true spirit of the season.
The Mothers Acting Up Alternative Gift Fair will take place Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
For more information contact Kate Bassett (231) 838-3148 or Copland Rudolph (231) 838-1001. To volunteer the day of the fair, or to help set-up or clean up, please contact Connie Fischer (231) 526-6975 or call Cynthia at the church office (231) 526-7332.