On December 5th in Barge Commons, Westminster hosted the 19th Alternative Gift Fair, an annual holiday opportunity for students to make and sell items to the Westminster community, raising money for a non-profits of their choice.
This year’s event featured a total of 68 booths, each offering unique items to sell, such as jewelry, crafts, and food items. Some of the more popular vendors included those that sold crochet items and the booth for the Lower School’s design-thinking class, which sold elephant ornaments this year.
Jessica Dent, program coordinator for the Glen Institute, says some booths have been remarkably successful over the years. “A recent graduate Lily Hernandez . . . sold jewelry so she made a ton . . . and then Raleigh Bunting . . . does crochet and so her booth always makes a ton just because of the effort that she puts into the items,” says Dent.
Leadership plays a vital role in the running and planning of the fair. Dent has worked with the fair for nine years, and each year she has relied on Upper School student leaders. 11th grader Ann Davis serves Dent as a student apprentice, and the Civic Engagement 3s, a class in the Upper School that focuses on volunteer work for the community, also helps plan and run the fair.
Planning for the fair starts in September to draft a sign-up form to students, released in October. The form asks students to explain the product they will be selling and to pick what non-profit to donate their proceeds to. “It takes a lot of internal work first as far as preparation with the form, because we have to make sure the form is clear for vendors to actually apply,” says Dent.
The fair typically raises around $20,000 annually, though totals vary based on vendor and attendee turnout. Dent says that proceeds increased when the fair was moved from Malone Dining Hall to Barge Commons.
This fair brings together the Westminster community. It gives students the opportunity to sell items that they put love and effort into and it helps those in the Atlanta community. “It’s … magical pieces created by special people,” says Dent.
Maddie Watt reported and wrote this story. Image gallery contributed by Joyce Feng and Mabel Wang.