Proceeds help support renovations at OLM school and church
Our Lady of Malibu School hosted its Christmas Boutique on Saturday, Dec. 3.
The event featured vendor tables, food trucks, a bake sale, and photos with Santa.
The event ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and concluded with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony with music and hot cocoa.
There were a variety of different items sold at the event. Vendors sold clothing, jewelry, books, pottery, candles, plants, and salsa.
Twenty percent of all proceeds were donated to the Our Lady of Malibu school and church. The money will go into the annual fund, which will help make renovations to the school’s upper field and upper playground in the school’s kindergarten area.
Gina Longo, Co-Chair of the OLM Parent Guild, said she was grateful for everyone who contributed their time and money for a good cause, but said the event was really about creating community.
“Really it’s about community awareness and bringing people into Our Lady of Malibu as a school and a church. We’re a tight-knit family here and we want to make that family bigger,” Longo said. “We love creating a place where people can feel like a part of the community and that was really the point of today’s event.”
Steve Graham, a parent volunteer, said he is happy to see the community returning to in-person gathering and said it is an exciting time for the school and church.
“This is only our second fundraiser [since COVID-19 pandemic] so I think that being able to do this again it’s an exciting time for the school to open its doors to the community again, welcome them to this environment, and experience OLM the way it’s been experienced for the last 50 years,” Graham said.
Krisha Garvey, owner of Golden State Beauty, was a vendor at the event. She attended the school as a child and said being able to contribute to the church was a rewarding experience.
“The experience is so tender for me. This was my family, this school is my family,” Garvey said. “I remember I had everyone who I cared about and everyone who cared about me here in one place, so to come back and give back is the ultimate feeling of goodwill.”
Santa Claus made an appearance at the event, and said he had to visit OLM because he knows that Malibu is full of loving families and wanted to spread the Christmas cheer in the community.
“The event is great, the kids have been wonderful. I am leaving all the kids with one specific request from Santa Claus and that’s to look for opportunities to be kind,” Santa said.
Stevie Simpson, 7, said she liked meeting Santa Claus. She said she asked Santa for an iPad and an Apple Pen for Christmas, and believes she will get it because she has been good this year.
Santa said he is evaluating things based on everyone’s contributions to the community and their ability to look for and find opportunities to be kind.
“She seemed like an amazing young lady with a heart that’s pure and solid and I think she can probably count on getting the gift that she wants,” Santa said.