Red letter day

Vicki Harrington | Bendigo Weekly | 01-Dec-2011 12.33PM

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FLOWER POWER: Jacqui Heard, Jan Doyle, Kathy Rice and Roz Effenberg, front, prepare for the Christmas sale. Photo: BILL CONROY
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A monster annual Christmas sale to be held at Mandurang Valley Wines on Sunday will see a wide range of goods on offer.
Baked Christmas cakes and puddings, panforte and shortbread. Preserves of jams, jellies, sauces and chutneys. There will be all types of plants;  kitchen garden herbs, vegetables, topiaries, succulents and, red geraniums.
And that’s how the group behind this monster sale settled on their unusual name, ...and the Red Geranium inc., the geraniums always tend to be tagged on the end of their impressive list of produce.
Group member Roz Effenberg says: “It’s a bit like the Partridge and the Pear Tree, we have this and that, and red geraniums.
“It also typifies our group. Nearly everyone has a red geranium in their garden, we break a bit off and pass it on to someone else. This is what our group does, we share our garden cuttings and produce and pass them onto others,” Roz said.
The not-for-profit group began in 2000, raising money for the local community and after only two fundraisers each, they year have donated in excess of $166,000.
About 20 members tend the plants and cook throughout the year but on Sunday it will be all hands on deck with family and friends enlisted to help.
“Sixty-four volunteers will manage roles from traffic controllers to sausage cooks.” Roz said.
Much like the geraniums, the Christmas sale has flourished. In 2000, after only a couple of months work, it resulted in the grand total of $1,500, escalating to $11,000 in 2001 and ten years later, the 2010 sale raised $30,000 for three Bendigo causes.
This year the proceeds are earmarked for the Bendigo Hospice and the Bendigo arm of YWCA Encore and the Bendigo Health Foundation which receives ongoing funds each year. Application forms for funding from the ...and the Red Greanium group will be available at the sale or via email request; weff9821@bigpond.net.au
Sunday’s sale will feature music, Devonshire teas, barbecue, raffle, children’s stories and face painting. New products added to the range this year are chilli jelly, lemon cordial and medlar jelly and the best news is, EFTPOS will be available for the first time.
The sale is hugely popular, be sure to arrive early and take a big basket.
...and the red geranium Christmas sale Sunday, December 4, 10am to 3pm at Mandurang Valley Wines, Fadersons Lane (off Tannery lane) Mandurang.
– VICKI HARRINGTON








 
b.Entertained

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