Pottery fund-raiser helps victims of Hurricane Mitch

By Lily Gillespie

The Pottery For People Banquet, a fund-raiser organized by the local Oxfam committee for the benefit of the victims of Hurricane Mitch, was a big success.

Hedi Koleszar, the only potter who is a member of the local Oxfam committee, had committed herself to making a few more bowls for people who bought the $50 ticket but didn't get the bowl that went with it. There were $20 tickets for people who wanted the meal alone.

Koleszar and the other committee members, Dirk Groenberg, Maureen Larkin, Tony Reddin, Michelle Jay and Margie Loo, were very pleased with the generosity of the Culinary Institute.

The Institute provided the space for the April 16 event and the use of the kitchen to heat up the soup, prepare salads and serve the meal. In addition, 10 second-year Culinary Arts and Golf Management students volunteered their services.

"The Culinary Institute is just doing this for us," said Koleszar.

Koleszar said many potters donated four or five bowls each.

The colourful display of bowls was the main attraction as people arrived.

Choosing and occasionally trading a bowl, occupied guests as they waited for the first course.

All the food was donated and then heated and served by culinary students, who also prepared the salads, using greens donated from the organic greenhouses of Murray Russell in Iona.

"The Root Cellar donated the cheese," said Koleszar. "Dirk Groenenberg donated the black beans for the black bean-ginger soup."

During the meal, which consisted of salad, soup and dessert, Island musicians played classical music on guitar and pan pipes.

As it happened, guitarist George Marshall, a Grade 12 student at Bluefield high, turned 18 that day. He was pleased to be spending part of his birthday doing something he considers important. "I feel like I'm really a part of something worthwhile on my birthday this year."

The guest speaker for the evening, Dr. Tim Brood of Halifax, made a trip to Nicaragua in December 1998, as a part of the Pastors for Peace team.

In his address Brood spoke of the objectives of the group in helping out in South America.

The organization was formed in the U.S., an inter-faith coalition whose purpose is to respond to the policies of the United States government in relation to South America.

Brood concluded by summing up the focus of the group. "The slogan for the group, if they had one, would be: ŒThink globally, act locally, nationally and internationally.

" According to Koleszar, the money raised by the benefit will be used for more than rebuilding.

"What Oxfam is using their funds for is for the communities that were organized to talk to the other communities, to prevent so many mud slides and so much loss of life."

Koleszar explained there was a difference between the way the two groups farmed, in terms of the way they cut trees and whether they terraced their hillside farms or not. The group that survived better, she said, "fit into their ecology better."

Second-year Culinary Arts student, Maria Durling, a Kentville, N.S.,native, said participating in events such as this is an important experience for herself and her classmates.

"It's a part of the program, dealing with people and serving," she said.

Durling, who helped out by selling tickets, enjoyed the opportunity she had to people watch.

"I think it's really interesting how the variety of pots reflects the variety of people that are here," she said.