Rotary reflects on the Christmas market and carol’s night
For the first time ever a Christmas market was held in the beautiful grounds of Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre on December 16.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/01/Xmas2017263_33716-e1664190344101.jpg)
The brainchild of Rotary Club of Boksburg, led by current president Noel Wauchope and president-elect Derek Fox, with partners East Rand Stereo 93.9 FM and Liquor City hosted a successful Christmas market.
The Rotary Club of Boksburg, through their associates Janine Richardson and her mother Jean Gould from Crafts in the Park, gathered some 100 exhibitors for two days on December 16 and 17.
Homemade gifts and provisions included everything one could think of and included some 20 food stalls.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/01/Xmas2017189_91408-520x390.jpg)
The Rotary Club of Boksburg was assisted by The Rotary Clubs of Boksburg Lake and Edenvale.
Marketing of the event was led by East Rand Stereo 93.9FM, broadcasting live from their caravan, providing listeners with the two-day programme.
For about a month before the event, radio announcers Herman Human and Karen Augusta regularly interviewed Noel and Derek about the market and Rotary Club Boksburg’s “A Schoolbag For All” fund-raiser project.
Rotary intends ensuring that this project remains ongoing as school bags for school children will certainly be a never-ending need.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/01/Xmas2017069_94900-520x390.jpg)
A Rotary information stall, sporting the club’s dapper brand new advertising materials, was available to provide material on Rotary and the Schoolbag project on the day.
Apart from the schoolbag sales, Homecorp donated pencil bags for the schoolbags and a number of other kind sponsors provided a variety of suitable items for educational purposes.
Nathan Evans, crowned Mr Petite Teen SA 2017, Mr Petite Teen Face of Africa 2017, Mr Junior Charity SA 2017, Best Ramp Model 2017 and Mr Personality 2017, joyously donated a huge bag of stationery and sponsored five schoolbags.
Help with the huge amount of work for the event was given by other Rotary clubs, Friends of Rotary, family and friends of Rotarians.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/01/Xmas2017227_95715-520x390.jpg)
East Rand Stereo 93.9 also brought along a number of local artists who provided music and entertainment to visitors and presented the Carols By Candle Light on the evening of December 17.
Some of the artists were JP White, Colé Van Dais, Mac Young, Leroi and Bianca Goosen.
Rotary Club of Boksburg thanks its partners, sponsors and all the kind people they met at the market and the Carols By Candle Light.
The club is keenly looking forward to the celebration of its 80th Charter Anniversary next year when Derek Fox will be the club’s president.
Derek Fox said: “I will be collaborating with Rotary marketing and PR consultant Elsa Venter as we did on the market. If the Christmas market was anything to go by, then this promises to be a birthday bash to be remembered.”
Anybody interested in joining the Rotary or finding out more information about the Schoolbag project may contact Noel at 082 486 7330 or Derek at 082 886 0651.