Members of the Juan de Fuca Arts and Crafts Guild have been putting on their Christmas craft sale, known these days as Holiday Gifts Galore, for 40 years.

For almost as long, 32 years to be exact, this group of artisans has been placing a donation jar near the entrance to the show, giving shoppers and Guild members the opportunity to help out those less fortunate at Christmastime.

Almost as a show of solidarity to celebrate the 40th show and sale, and perhaps in acknowledgment of the rising need, donors tucked nearly $1,200 into the jar for the Westshore Christmas Hamper Fund.

B次元官网网址淒onations have averaged between $500 and $700 the last few years and in 2014 we were extremely pleased when the donations totalled $956.75,B次元官网网址� wrote Guild member Anne Vanderwereld, the head of the cottage craft group. B次元官网网址淭his year, members of the Guild and the public amazed us again. When we totalled the donations we found that $1,176.60 had been (given).B次元官网网址�

Guild treasurer Donna Vaesen said the total proved how the community pulls together for a good cause. B次元官网网址淲e were surprised,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲ith everybody saying how hard it is to do, the public was very generous.B次元官网网址�

Representatives of the Guild, which lists quilters, painters, embroidery and sewing enthusiasts and other crafters as members, stopped by the Hamper FundB次元官网网址檚 busy base at the Goldstream Food Bank on Tuesday to make the donation.

Their timing was good, as the charity had begun giving out Christmas hampers the day before.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com