Centre Greene holds Treats 'n' Treasures fundraising event

"It gives people a chance to meet," said Peter Marcovitz, president of the centre's board. "People who are in different programs tend to come and they see each other and they get more of a sense of how broad the scope of this community centre is … These fundraisers are very important for us."

Contributors to the bake table included members of the Centre Greene ballet class and students from Trafalgar School for Girls. Nearly 20 crafters occupied tables. Each had donated an item to be raffled off during the afternoon. Activities for children included cookie decorating, face painting and creating holiday cards. Homemade soup and Irish soda bread were served in the Centre Greene kitchen.

Nigel Penney, an Academy Road resident who raises funds for the Cycle for Children Foundation, came up with way to collect money that was also environmentally-friendly. Old vinyl records were converted into decorative wall clocks, using components from cheap alarm clocks purchased in dollar stores.

"I buy dollar clocks from the dollar store, take them apart, recycle every component, even the glass," he said. The completed wall clock is then packaged in a plain white pizza box and sold. Penney, who also performs music as another of his pursuits, draws on an extensive collection of old vinyl 33 rpm LPs for this and other types of creation.

He plans to start using CDs in the future. "People are accumulating these things like crazy," says Penney. "They're all plastics, all hydrocarbons that we're recycling, while trying to do something for the kids, as well."

L.P. Camozzi, a children's entertainer from NDG who has produced recordings and books geared towards kids, was doing brisk business with some of his wares. "These bazaars are always good because you may end up running into an opportunity to go to a school or do a show," he said.

Beverley Auerbach, who runs a small business called Rookie's Cookies, was selling biscuits shaped like different breeds of dog. "I have things like 18-Karat Golden and Jack Russells and Carrot Coconut Lab," she said. She also produces a line of hand-knitted organic catnip toys for cats, and polar fleece ped beds and blankets.