The Crofton House Winter Bazaar is a cherished tradition, the roots of which go back to 1943 when proceeds raised were donated to the Red Cross and Save the Children Funds.
The Crofton House Winter Bazaar builds community by inviting our family and friends, the School’s neighbourhood, and the local Vancouver community to join in and raise funds for a local charity. The Winter Bazaar embodies Pillar 4: Extraordinary Community, of our Strategic Plan, Beyond Buildings: Extraordinary Possibilities.
The Winter Bazaar supports the School's desire to build community and embodies our values. Inspired by the courage of a small group of parents who take on the huge task of organizing the event, the CHS Winter Bazaar is an inclusive event that engages the entire community. Parents volunteer time, along with their creative and organizational skills, to make this event a success. Working alongside their daughters, they demonstrate a commitment to citizenship.
The Winter Bazaar’s charitable donation is a demonstration of our School’s desire to teach our girls to see the world through a lens of compassion, develop relevant and meaningful relationships and take action to make a difference in our community.
Learn more about the Winter Bazaar, past and present.
2020-2022: In April 2020, the CHS Parents' Auxiliary announced its recommitment to KidSafe Project as the recipient of the Winter Bazaar's charitable donation. Since the establishment of our partnership, our relationship with KidSafe has flourished. In addition to providing financial support through the Winter Bazaar, KidSafe utilizes the Crofton House kitchen during school breaks to prepare meals for their programs and numerous Crofton House students have volunteered for the organization, seeing firsthand the impact we can make together. KidSafe Project received a $13,200 in 2020.
2017-2019: The KidSafe Project, a local Vancouver charity that provides essential services to more than 450 vulnerable children and youth annually during periods when schools are traditionally closed. KidSafe Project received a $61,000 donation in 2017, $71,300 in 2018, and $81,062 in 2019.
2015-2016: CLICK (Contributing to the Lives of Inner City Kids) is an umbrella charity platform that offers funding to programs that provide food, after-school care, sports and camping opportunities, and literacy programs to inner-city kids. Each year CLICK gives out more than 200 grants to 130 programs in Vancouver. CLICK received $35,0000 in proceeds from the Bazaar in both 2015 and 2016.
Reflecting on the 2019 tag line #WEAREBAZAAR, CHS Winter Bazaar co-chairs, Margot Jagger and Catherine Borritt, were “pleased that so many Crofton House parents, students, and staff came together to organize this fun event and raise funds for such an important organization. We are proud to support KidSafe and the excellent work they are doing to help vulnerable children in Vancouver. We’ve had the opportunity to see these programs at work and believe in the difference they are making."
CHS Winter Bazaar co-chairs, Margot Jagger and Catherine Borritt, were “thrilled that so many members of the CHS community came together to share their time and talent. Crofton House students and parents demonstrated our collective desire to connect with each other while making a difference for KidSafe.”
“Once again this year’s Winter Bazaar saw Crofton House School’s commitment to community and citizenship come to life. Our amazing parents, students and staff all worked together to put on this incredible event and welcome the wider community to our campus," said Suzanne Chong, 2017 co-chair of the Crofton House Winter Bazaar. “This is event is so much more than a school fair. It’s a way for our community to celebrate our spirit, our sense of connection with one another, and demonstrate our shared goal of helping children in our own city who need support,” continued Kris Dattani, co-chair.
“Extraordinary community is one of the strategic pillars of our school and the Winter Bazaar is an absolute testament to exactly that. Seeing our parents, students and staff come together, working toward one common goal and for a wonderful cause, was a truly extraordinary experience,” said Tina Barkley, 2016 co-chair of the Crofton House Winter Bazaar. “This event is a tangible example of the values at Crofton House School in terms of our commitment to citizenship both within our school walls and outside in the broader community,” continued the co-chair Kris Dattani.
“With more than 3,000 people passing through the school gates, the response from the community was incredible,” said Tina Barkley, Chair of the Crofton House Winter Bazaar and member of the CHS Parents’ Auxiliary, “Months of hard work from our parent volunteers created a day that was so much more than a school fair, it was about citizenship, community and connection. We couldn’t be happier.”
