Holiday House raises funds for area projects

Baked goods, gift baskets, crafts, jewelry, home goods and more covered tables at Holy Communion Episcopal Church in Rock Springs Saturday - all available to raise money for the Woman's Club of Rock Springs during their annual "Holiday House."

"Normally of course we do have the Holiday House," Cindy Wakefield, the Woman's Club vice president, said. She explained the fundraiser is usually hosted at the house of a community member who decorates their home for Christmas and opens it to the Woman's Club for the event.

"But with Delta variant and COVID, it wasn't an option," Wakefield said.

This is the second year the Holiday House event couldn't be hosted in a house like usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year the event was held entirely online. This year, however, the Woman's Club had the ability to host the event in-person thanks to the Holy Communion Episcopal Church.

"The church was really nice and they donated the space to us this year," Wakefield said, adding the Woman's Club also gave a donation to the church in gratitude for letting them use the building.

While the challenges of hosting the Holiday House during the pandemic have also made the event smaller than normal, it has still been a successful fundraiser.

"We've done really well and so we're pleased with the turnout," Wakefield said during the event.

She noted club members had been working hard to advertise the event and sell raffle tickets for the gift basket giveaways in the month leading up to the Holiday House.

Woman's Club members not only run the Holiday House event every year, they also donate all the items that are sold during the event. Members baked breads and desserts, made jewelry and crafts, donated decorative items, and put together gift baskets for a raffle.

"Everything is from our group," Wakefield explained. She said members usually work on items for the Holiday House throughout the year.

"It's the biggest fundraiser that we have all year," she added.

Club Member Marcia Volner explained the Holiday House usually brings in between $4,000 and $6,000 for the Woman's Club. Even last year, when the event was held online and had to be smaller than normal, it still brought in over $3,000.

"Then we distribute the money throughout the year," Wakefield said.

The money raised by the Holiday House, as well as other smaller fundraisers the Woman's Club hosts, goes toward projects that help the community.

Woman's Club donations and projects have included scholarships for local students, "buddy benches" for schools, protective dogs vests for the Rock Springs Police Department, money and "comfort kits" for the Green River Police Department and Buddy the therapy dog, money for benches at the columbarium in the Rock Springs Cemetery, donations to the VA hospital, books for the Child Developmental Center, a refrigerator for the Sweetwater County Family Resource Center, food drive donations for Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, and, this year, 877 Christmas cards for active military service members.

"Anything to help out the community," Volner said.

Wakefield agreed they're always looking for new ways to help, adding, "We're really fortunate to have a great group of women that care about our community."