Round Square Winter Market a Success

December 10, 2021

Academics

GNS

On December 10, 15 minutes before lunch started, Round Square members were frantically scrambling to put together tables for the Round Square Winter Market. The heavily anticipated Winter Market was finally here!

For the entire week, everybody had been excitedly talking about the Winter Market. When Friday lunch came along, students flooded in. There were students from every grade, with the brave and daring Grade 6s, giggly Grade 9s consisting of the majority of the population, the wizen Grade 10s, and the recognizable mushroom/jellyfish-like hairdos of Grade 11s bobbing up and down. The Grade 12s were underrepresented. Of course, they’re probably too cool and have their own fabulous Grade 12 Winter Market, or they’re just scared of the younger kids and the tremendous amount of noise they can make.

Many products were proudly displayed that would make perfect gifts for family. There were candy grams, ready to make hot chocolate packs complete with marshmallows, handcrafted resin bookmarks, and beautifully crafted beeswax candles and hand-knitted cloths generously donated by Ms. Drury, who in addition to being the kindest person ever and baking delicious bread, is also a fabulous knitter!

The silent auction was not silent at all, with plenty of laughter and cheers. The gifts were collected by Round Square members and Ms. Thijs, who had gone out into the community on the weekend and visited local businesses for gifts that they could donate for the Winter Market. The these businesses included Demitasse, a local cafe located in the heart of Oak Bay, Ottavio, an Italian bakery also in Oak Bay, and Starbucks. There were items from Thrifty Foods, Oak Bay Flower Shop, Ivy’s Bookshop, and the Royal Bank of Canada.

The Winter Market was a huge success. All the students who came to the Winter Market seized on the opportunity to support the United Way BC Flood Relief but also to get their holiday gift-giving lists checked off. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the United Way BC Flood Relief in hopes of providing victims of the recent flooding with housing, food assistance, trauma and mental health support. In addition to helping those impacted by the floods, by purchasing gift cards and products from local businesses, students are helping revive the local economy affected by COVID-19.

Those who visited the market represented the epitome of GNS’ core values of caring and community. Through this fundraiser, they supported both their local and larger communities, since the proceeds from the Winter Market will go to help alleviate the burden that those impacted by the floods have experienced and to hopefully to help them have a more cheerful holiday.