The American International League of Florence (AILO) ONLUS of Florence
announces that its annual Christmas bazaar will be held on December 8 in the
Pagliere (ex scuderie reale) in Via Machievelli, near Porta Romana. Running from 10am to 5pm, the annual event raises money for
charities in Florence and the province.
Booths will feature a range of items, such as baked
goods, books, handmade chocolates, Christmas decorations, clothes,
gadgets, hand-made items, jams and jellies, jewelry and accessories,
a lottery, pet accessories, tapestry and
things from the past, toys and children’s clothing, and more.
As well as for the merchandise
being offered, many people come each year for the food. General Electric
volunteers will be preparing hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage
sandwiches, and will be selling beverages. General Electric has
been a sponsor of the AILO Christmas bazaar for many years.
Children always have a special place at
the Christmas bazaar. This year, the General Electric volunteers
along with Kirste Milligan of the Creative Corner of Florence will
provide interactive entertainment for children. Santa Claus will
also make an appearance.
The AILO ONLUS is an organization of
about 200 international women, and it has been operating in Florence for 35 years.
Over the years the club has donated hundreds of thousands of euro
to charities in the area. The annual donation day ceremony, the
event when the donations are presented to the charities selected for
that year, is held in the spring.
Over the years, recipients of AILO
donations have been: Fondazione Banco Alimentare
ONLUS, Centro Terapeutico Europeo S.C.R.L., Pro Animals ONLUS, Casa
di Riposo Piccola Betania and the Dragon Ladies. The AILO has
selected ten charities to benefit from this year’s bazaar:
Artemisia, I Bonomini di San Martino, AIDA, Trisomia 21, Associazione
Per Crescere Insieme ONLUS (S. Casciano Val di Pesa), Croce d’Oro
di Ponte a Ema, C.U.I. – I Ragazzi del Sole, Monastero Carmelitano,
Novalis (Gruppo Insieme Greve in Chianti), and AISPA (Protection of
Animals), among others.
AILO Bazaar Chairs, Traci Woish and
Tina Carrari, affirm that ‘This year’s bazaar will be the biggest
and best ever!’ For more information, see www.ailoflorence.org.
