Holiday Shop Hop

Charity Christmas Shop Hop to Benefit ECKAN/Ministerial Alliance

Handmade soaps, scented with essential oils from all over the world, eco green toys made from 100 percent recycled materials and vintage products made into bibs and other baby products are just a few of the items that will be available at the Charity Christmas Shop Hop this year.  Summit Hill Gardens from Chanute will be one of fifteen home based businesses featured in this year’s event, being held in conjunction with the annual Holiday Homes Tour on Sunday, December 5th.

The Holiday Gift Boutique, held in the Kirk House, benefitted W.I.N.G.S. and was so successful and well attended that, “We are doing it again this year,” says event coordinator, Donna Hart.  “Last year we had 13 vendors set up in the Kirk House and we were crowded.  But the feedback we received following the event from the public and vendors alike was very positive and I just couldn’t let the opportunity go by without doing it again.”

Originally, the idea for this type of event grew from the desire to help other home-based business owners promote their businesses and boost their sales during the holiday season.  “I had connections to the “vendors” and Eileen Burns, owner of the Kirk House, had the perfect venue.  As we started dialoguing on the details, we decided we wanted it to benefit a local charity, thus the inclusion of W.I.N.G.S. for that event.  That was how the first charity event got started.

“This fall, I was contacted by several of last year’s participants, including Danelle McGhee of Prairie Belle’s Catering, wanting to know if we were going to hold the event again this year.” stated Hart.  “Even though the event was successful last year, we were crowded and trying to find an alternate location was a challenge for this year’s event.”

The solution ended up being multiple locations, with the main one being The Coffee Loft, which will be the site for 10 of the 15 vendors.  The Country Fabrics Store, also on 5^th street, just a few doors to the west, has a classroom located in the back of their store and it will serve as the second location for the 5 remaining vendors.  Prairie Belle’s Catering has finished renovating their building, located at 426 W. 6^th on Hwy 59 and was a featured caterer at the Kirk House last year.  Their building will also be a part of the event, thus the name “Charity Christmas Shop Hop”, due to multiple locations.

The vendors paid a fee for their space to help defray building rent, advertising costs and fund the Christmas Cash giveaway.  The remainder of that fee will be donated to ECKAN/Ministerial Alliance to help with their Spirit of Christmas project to help feed local families Christmas dinner.  Cash donations as well as boxed and canned foods will be accepted at each of the three locations on the day of the event as well.  “Christmas is all about giving and there is no better feeling than knowing your anonymous gift helped make Christmas a little better for someone else.”

In keeping with the spirit of giving, attendees will also have the opportunity to win $100 Christmas Cash, to be given away to 1 lucky winner at the end of the day.  To be eligible to win, the participant must have their ticket validated at all three event locations.  Drawing tickets will be available at each location and only 1 ticket per person will be allowed.  The winner will be contacted by phone and their name published in local papers once their eligibility has been confirmed.

There will be several returning vendors from last year as well as new ones including Summit Hill Gardens and Dirty Country Primitives, owned by Alisha Rogers of Mound City with Christmas wreaths, hand-painted primitive signs and hand-made Santas and dolls. Michelle Avery Jewelry out of Overland Park features award winning, uniquely crafted jewelry and accessories. 

Sew Sassy Embroidery, owned and operated by Kimberly Proctor from Olathe will have purses, wallets, seasonal and children’s gifts.  In addition to food samples and specialty cakes and baked items being offered for sale at the Prairie Belle’s location, they will have western jewelry and accessories.  The Loopy Ladies from Garnett Nazarene Church will also have a table with hand crocheted scarves and handmade jewelry to raise funds for a trip they will be making to Ohio next fall.  There will also be a variety of tote bags created by Shirley Hart, with the proceeds from the sale of them to be donated to her granddaughter Brittany, who is a volunteer missionary in Peru.

Other local home business owners participating include Veronica Branton, Garnett - The Pampered Chef;  Helen Feuerborn, Richmond – Premier Designs Jewelry; Rosalee Bures, Richmond – Painted bricks and homemade jewelry; Kerri Poire, Leroy – Cookie Lee Jewelry; Jennifer (Poire) Foster, Iola – Mary Kay Cosmetics; Jessica Johnston, Garnett – Silpada Jewelry; Deanna Chan, Overland Park – Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Tracy Sanders, Louisburg – Tastefully Simple and Donna Hart/Sam Sheafer, Garnett – Scentsy Wickless Candles.  Betts Abrams, co-owner of The Coffee Loft, will also be offering hot coffee and drinks for purchase at that location.  Many of the vendors will be offering discounts and/or holding their own giveaway so you will want to be sure to visit each location and each vendor.  The shopping time has been extended this year from 1pm to 5pm to allow plenty of time for the public to complete the homes tours and then do some shopping to round out the afternoon of activities.

One of the vendors, Woolie Tops out of Osage City, featuring handmade wool hats and purses that are felted had to cancel their participation when they completely sold out at a recent event.  They have already committed to participate next year as have several other vendors that already had prior commitments this year but are locally based and want to be included in next year’s charity event.

There are still a few spaces available if anyone else is interested in participating.  Contact Donna Hart at 785-448-6377 or 913-206-1157.