Last December I said good-bye. I wrote my teary thank you letter in the WAVE to my co-chair and the Waverly community for the wonderful 7 years I worked on the World Market. I really did mean it. It was time to pass the torch, let someone else know the joy and creativity that is the World Market. An event that represented more than just a school fundraiser to me, it is a community gathering that is so very Waverly. I was moving on to the Waverly middle school. I felt I needed to take a step back from the elementary school and “graduate” with my son.
I was so sure of my conviction that I actually didn’t do any crafting for about six months. Now, anybody who knows me knows that that is just crazy talk. I love to craft, I live to craft. But it was all fine. I packed away all my World Market projects and supplies nice and neat in the garage.
Then summer came. I ran into Samantha while dropping off our kids at summer camp. Samantha was my co-chair last year and is co-chairing this year. We started talking and she asked, “You are going to make some things for the World Market, aren’t you?” Well sure, I guess I could do that..
.
Almost five months later and I have made stuffed animals, felted wreaths, made magnetic chalkboards, mini cupcake stands, made journals out of cereal boxes and… my heart is singing! What was I thinking? I could no easier give up the World Market than give up coffee (and I really love coffee). And why should I!
I LOVE the World Market. I love everything about the World Market. I have loved it since I first got involved with it when my son started Kindergarten. I love getting together with a group of people and pooling our creative ideas about crafting and marketing and then actually producing items. I love our weekly meetings where the two co-chairs catch me up on the goings on at the elementary school and I give them a glimpse of what’s coming up in the middle school. I love seeing the whole Waverly community rallies together and donates items that they or their family have made. I love seeing all the creativity that goes into the classroom projects and the pride the children take in creating and selling goods for their community. There is something so special about peeking into the creative lives of others.
I LOVE the World Market. I love set-up day when we transform the community room into a marketplace. The love the laughter and camaraderie that fills the room as we set up walls, put tables in place, and unpack and place all the goodies for the shoppers the next day.
I LOVE the World Market. I love opening the doors at 7:45 on Friday morning and seeing the first group of parents walk into the room. It fills me with such pride. We have created a store, for us, by us, the Waverly Community. I love the kids’ squeals as they bound into the room, ready to make the important shopping decisions on what to buy for whom, and is it in their budget. I’ve watched kids sit on the floor with their shoppers’ helpers and go through each item in their bag, making sure they haven’t left anyone out and of course making sure there is something in their bag for them!
I LOVE the World Market. And I guess as long as I’m at Waverly, I’ll be involved. Involved to advise, to listen to complaints or frustrations, bounce new ideas off of, to create, to set up and to break down. Just like Waverly is my blood, so is the World Market!
If you haven’t been to the World Market, COME. It isn’t just for your children. If you can, come early on Friday morning when it is pristine and untouched by little fingers. I think you will be as proud of your Waverly community as we are. Or come on Saturday, pick up yThe our child’s bag and leisurely shop. Its takes an entire village to create the World Market. You helped.
COME. And see for yourself.
Christy Dooley
Parent of a 7th Grader
The Waverly World Market runs Friday, December 9 (7:45 am – 6:00 pm) and Saturday, December 10 (10:00 am – 2:00 pm) in the Elementary School Community Room.