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Fraser craft fair promotes holiday spirit, gives back to community

Small canvases of snowmen, Christmas trees and landscapes decorate the wall behind the Art For a Cause at the Fraser Valley Holiday Craft Fair. Each canvas was painted by a local student at Fraser Valley Elementary and sold for a donation to local charities.

Mazie Giberson came up with the idea for Art For a Cause when she was eight years old because she wanted to combine her passion for art, animals and people. She worked with her art teacher at Fraser Valley Elementary to create the program and chose Grand County Pet Pals and Mountain Family Center as the recipients of any proceeds from the paintings.

“People love art so I think they should buy good art that they can say the money goes to a good cause,” Giberson, now 11, said. “I enjoy that we get new categories and then after that it just comes to life and the creativity.”

For four Thursdays leading up to the craft fair, which took place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grand Park Recreation Center, students from the elementary school created the paintings to be sold at the booth.

No prices were set for the paintings, instead Art For a Cause encouraged people to pay what they could for each piece. All of the money raised is donated to the two charities and split equally.

To date, the program has raised over $1,500 for Mountain Family Center and Grand County Pet Pals.

Melissa Giberson, Mazie’s mom, said this year each class averaged about 45 students.

“This year we had more participation than we ever had before,” she said. “We had 150 canvases originally and we ran out. (…) It’s just fun to watch the kids create because, you know, with their imaginations you give them an idea and they just run with it.”

While Mazie and the students enjoy the chance to be creative, the Gibersons agree the best part is getting to give back to the community.

“It just feels so good that it goes to a good cause,” Mazie said. “I love it. (…) Animals are my happy place and people are what makes the world the world.”

The 20th annual Fraser Valley Holiday Craft Fair featured dozens of local, handmade holiday gift booths, as well as photos with Santa, food and showings of Ice: The Movie, which was filmed in Winter Park.


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