GUELPH – The 26th Scouts, in the Kortright Hills neighbourhood in Guelph, are hosting another series of online craft fairs as they hope to send some scouts to Holland for a Scouting Jamboree in 2023.
Leone Schadenberg, head of fundraising for the troop, said her husband was one of the chaperones for the jamboree in 2019 where 15 youth from the 26th Scouts attended, “and they had such a blast.
“They met youth from all over the world and they really want to go back,” she said.
Much is still up in the air about COVID-19 and the ability for international travel, even by 2023, but if it’s a go the cost will be around $2,000 per youth.
Proceeds from fundraising will help lower that cost.
The 26th Scouts have run craft fairs for at least 10 years, and with many loyal customers and vendors, it wasn’t too difficult to switch to an online format, Schadenberg said.
In normal times there would be two one-day shows a year with about 50 vendors and at least a thousand shoppers, she said.
Instead, there will be 10 online craft fairs this year. Each lasts a week and is capped at 25 vendors.
For $20, the featured vendors can post their products, prices, and order information on the craft fair Facebook page.
Vendors are also asked to donate a prize and there are online games patrons can play in the week before the shows and draws at the end.
The shows run Sundays to Fridays and vendors can post up to five times a day from 7am to 7pm.
“On Saturdays I close it out,” Schadenberg said.
Vendors can post their final thank you’s, the games are closed, draws done and the show is over.
“I keep the vendor posts for a week, then I delete everything,” she said. “And then I prepare for the next show.”
Schadenberg said the 26th Guelph Scouts 2022 Virtual Craft Facebook group has 674 members and attracts good traffic during the fairs.
Last year she held nine; this year there are 10. Two are already over but upcoming dates include:
– March 6 to 12, St. Patrick’s Day theme;
– April 3 to 9, Easter;
– April 24 to 30, Mother’s Day;
– June 5 to 11, Father’s Day;
– Sept. 11 to 17, End of summer theme;
– Oct. 16 to 21, Halloween;
– Nov. 13 to 19, Holiday week 1; and
– Dec. 4 to 19, Holiday week 2.
Vendors can link to forms.gle/1VGJENwmbxeP9UQ97 for booking information.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/26thguelphvirtualcraftfairflyer for more information.
