The third annual Beary Merry Christmas Market will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5. The LCM Education Foundation will host this event at Little Cypress Elementary School. Not only will there be arts and crafts, there will be a breakfast with Santa and even a silent auction. Children will also have the opportunity to take a picture with Santa. The event will run from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and all proceeds will go to the Foundation’s Grants to Educators program.

This event originated with Rhonda Braud, the Education Foundation’s Coordinator at the time that it was created. She presented it to the Board of Directors and after much thought and cultivation, it became an event that greatly benefits the community.

“The Foundation needed a big fundraiser that would bring in a large amount of money in a short span of time,” LCMCISD Community Relations Coordinator Sherry Combs said. “The Foundation’s mission is to provide enhanced educational opportunities to the students of LCM through grants that fund projects that are not able to be funded through the annual budget.”

The Foundation gives grants to educators that, as of last year, have totaled over $158,000. These grants are a way for students to gain educational opportunities that they would have otherwise missed out on.

There are going to be vendors in attendance that will most likely peak the interest of everyone. Everyone, including LCM staff members and students, can contribute to the market. They have the opportunity to rent booth space or contribute an item for the silent auction. There are already two bidding items for the auction that are causing a stir. Wayne Stephenson’s building trades classes built a picnic table/bench and John Martin from MMS built a pair of Adirondack chairs.

The gym area in which the market will be held can hold around 30 10×10 booths. In the halls of LCE, there are also 20 table spaces, measuring 6 feet in length, available for rent. People have the opportunity to rent more than one table space, if they feel the need to do so. Companies may also sponsor this event, if they so wish.

“The Foundation’s Board members try to recruit sponsors for the event, whose company names appear on all of the publicity before and after the event,” Combs said. “The sponsorships pay for the costs associated with the Market, leaving the fees collected from vendors and money spent for tickets or on auctions to go toward the Grants-To-Educators programs.”

Adults are not the only ones able to rent space – students are also able to rent booths. Vendor applications are available online at http;//s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/487/onlinefrontpageforweb.pdf if anyone is interested in participating in this years event.

Everyone will be able to have fun at this event, especially with the new and improved Breakfast with Santa. This year’s breakfast includes Chick-fil-A breakfast biscuits, homemade pancakes and breakfast items from McDonald’s.

LCM students are necessary for this event to grow. They are needed in order to set the market up on the Friday afternoon prior and the morning of. Student groups have preformed in the Market each year which, in turn, brings parents who have the potential to buy things.

The best publicity for the Market is easily word of mouth. Students are encouraged to tell friends and family that the event is a good place to pick up unique Christmas gifts for loved ones. Also, setting up and taking down the Market can give students service hours for the service groups they are a part of.