Former Osoyoos Royalty Princess Tianna Morgan (left) and Queen Emma Fernandes attended the 2016 annual Snowflake Tea at the Osoyoos United Church. This year’s event takes place on Saturday and marks the 35th anniversary of the event in Osoyoos. Everyone is welcome to attend. (Contributed photo)
Any time you run a successful event for 35 consecutive years, you know you’re doing something right.
The ladies who belong to the Sunshine Circle with the Osoyoos United Church have been organizing and holding its annual Snowflake Tea event every year since the early 1980s and are proud that this year’s fundraising event will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this coming Saturday, Jan. 28.
“Last year we were counting up the years after our event and realized it had been 34 years in a row,” said Elaine Taylor, a founding member of the Sunshine Circle group that is part of the Osoyoos United Church. “It’s just amazing to all of us involved that this will be our 35th anniversary with the Snowflake Tea.”
The Sunshine Circle is made up of a dozen Osoyoos ladies, the majority who have been members with the Osoyoos United Church since the first Snowflake Tea was held back in 1983, said Taylor.
“There are a group of us who were all the young women in the range of age 28 to 30 and we wanted to organize an annual fundraising event so we could give back to the community,” she said. “We formed the Sunshine Circle and organized our first Snowflake Tea and we’ve been doing it every year since.
“It really does take a lot of work by our small group, but it really is worth it.”
Proceeds from the Snowflake Tea are donated to various local community and non-profit organizations, including the Okanagan Gleaners, Osoyoos Secondary School, Osoyoos Elementary School and Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre, said Taylor.
The various organizations can use the money in any way they see fit, however, most of the funding to Desert Sun has gone to support its Safe Home for abused women and children in the Osoyoos and Oliver area, she said.
The Snowflake Tea traditionally draws a full house of local residents to the upper hall at Osoyoos United Church and she expects the same when the event takes place this Saturday from 1 – 3 p.m., said Taylor.
Besides a delicious lunch that will be prepared by the ladies with the Sunshine Circle and other church members, there will be a bake table and silent auction.
The price of admission remains at $5 apiece and everyone is welcome to attend, said Taylor.
Being a part of the Sunshine Circle and helping organize the Snowflake Tea has been a labour of love for more than three decades, she said.
“It’s a great group of ladies and we all get along magnificently,” she said. “It’s a way of socializing and getting out, while also giving something back to the community.”
Other current members of the Sunshine Circle include president Linda McWhinnie, secretary Linda Sheehan, treasurer Claudette Moss, Pat Schaffer, Gladys Brown, Audrey Westcott, Helen Leaske, Gloria Ellingsen, Carol Allen, Georgia Erlandsen, Ingrid Nicholson, Joanne Ziebart and Nancy Aatelma.
Taylor said the members of the Sunshine Circle are only getting started and they plan on organizing and hosting the annual Snowflake Tea in Osoyoos for many more years to come.
“We get great community support and it’s an event everyone really seems to enjoy,” she said. “It’s our only annual fundraising event so we hope to be around for a few more years yet.”
Taylor says she expects a larger crowd than usual on Saturday because this year’s event will be celebrating 35 years in the community.
Anyone planning on attending the Snowflake Tea on Saturday is encouraged to get there before lunch starts to be served at 1 p.m.
Taylor advised those wishing to attend to not each lunch as there will be plenty of fantastic food served.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
