Vassar Haiti Project

Our Outreach Committee VP and sale organizer Lauren Maclean ’12 had a lot on her plate for this sale. Not only did she organize volunteers and oversee room set up, but she also had to quickly switch the date of  the sale because of an unexpected snow storm.  Here’s how she handled it all.

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I always worry having a sale in a new venue- will anyone help? Will anyone come?  Despite all the successful meetings, there is always a certain amount of uncertainty pre-sale, and as one of the planners of the sale, I was extremely nervous driving to Greenwich for our latest sale.  But when we arrived at the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in Greenwich, CT to setup for the Hearts for Haiti Sale I realized that this was not a concern. The amazing people of CSH, students, faculty, and staff alike, met us with such enthusiasm and passion for Haiti and the sale, that we managed one of the fastest set-ups in VHP history- and sold some artwork during that time as well!
Our first day of the sale, open only to CSH parents and students, demonstrated how fully the entire CSH community supported the collaboration between our two groups and how acutely they understood the importance of supporting the artists of Haiti.  Students trickled in between classes, purchasing keychains and pointing out their favorite paintings to their friends, while teachers picked out handicrafts they wanted to decorate their classrooms.  Parents spent a longer time choosing artwork.

But panic struck with a snowstorm on Saturday- but the wonderful people of CSH agreed to let us reschedule to Sunday instead.  If setting up an art sale is scary, having to reschedule to another day is absolutely terrifying.  Will anyone hear about the change?  Will people be angry if they showed up on the day we cancelled?  But thanks to fantastic publicity coordinated by Kathy of Sacred Heart and Victoria of VHP we had another fantastic sale day!  It was amazing to receive the support of the Greenwich community as well, particularly given the scheduling changes.

This sale has been one of the most successful sales in VHP history. The CSH and VHP volunteers worked to bring an incredible amount of energy to every aspect of the sale, and new connections were made that we hope will continue in the future!  Although it’s impossible to list everyone who deserves our thanks, a huge thanks go to Paula Wescott, Lori Wilson, Elizabeth Fernandez, Kathy Faila, and Lucy Adams of Sacred Heart, and Laura Livingston, Victoria Hackman, David Bridgman-Packer, Caryn Halle, and, of course, Lila and Andrew Meade of VHP!  This sale was made possible through all of our amazing volunteers (Sacred Heart and VHP!) and I am so thankful for all of the support we received!

Let’s hope this wonderful momentums carries over to our Vassar Parent’s Weekend Sale this April and future Greenwich sales!

And here are some pictures from this wonderful sale!!

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