New Brunswick market brings another reason to support local

Inside the Salisbury Baptist Church on Saturday afternoon, rows and rows of local vendors filled the space with holiday cheer.

A Christmas craft and bake sale market took place and crafters from the area brought a little bit of everything and promised to help you find something for everyone on your list.

While the variety alone was enough to draw out crowds of people, there were two vendors in attendance who showcased a bit of extra Christmas spirit.

Carolyn Thurber, owner of Carolyn’s Crafts, was set up for the 15th year in a row.

She says the community looks for her booth every year in order to get homemade decorations, wreaths or Christmas arrangements for tables.

However, it isn’t just her items that keep her customers coming back year-after-year.

“I make it my charity event of the year, so what I profit from it, I give out to different needy causes and sometimes it means a family and I’ll provide the gifts for the children for Christmas and even the mother’s sometimes,” said Thurber.

Carolyn Thurber, owner of Carolyn's Crafts, who has been at the market 15 years in a row. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)

She says all her donations from her Christmas sales gets donated in order to help out places in the community like Harvest House or Teen Challenge.

It’s a passion she’s happy to share with the community, especially when it can help make a difference for people in need.

“I’ve always, even as a child, liked to decorate and make crafts and my mom and I worked on things. I sewed and made all my own clothes and when I got married, we didn’t have a lot and I made the decorations that we had and then my children became active as well with me.”

She says she has three more local markets coming up in Salisbury at the Red Barn before Christmas.

Ten-year-old Micah Foreman also had a table set up on Saturday, but instead of waiting for customers to wander by, he was hard at work.

10-year-old Micah Foreman with his table set up for his business, Snug as a Bug with Micah. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)

Foreman makes blankets through his business Snug as a Bug with Micah and he sold out before the market was even over on Saturday.

“All the money goes to Lung Cancer Canada,” he said.

“The reason why I donate the money is I lost my closest uncle to lung cancer and I don’t want other families to have to bare the same weight on their shoulders.”

He makes single and double layer blankets and both adult and children sizes.

While he hadn’t counted his final amount yet, he guessed he made over $150 to donate from market sales.

“It just brings a smile to my face, honestly,” he said.

“Just knowing that other families won’t have to deal with it, or other people are trying to help and I hope this interview also encourages others to give.”

He says his idea came from an activity he did at summer camp when he made blankets for homeless people. Now it has expanded into a successful business in honour of his uncle Bill.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.