St. Bernard's Annual Bazaar and Children's Fair - Case Study Example

The health and well-being of the people of Haiti have become one of the Catholic Church's principal concerns in recent years.The annual bazaar's main event is the chicken dinner that is catered by JoJo's Bar-B-Que of nearby Linden. The menu offered both fried and baked chicken, side dishes, and desserts that were donated by the Women of St. Bernard's, a Catholic auxiliary group. Because of the record numbers that attended this year's event, there was a fear of running out of the desert. However, Ms.

Kiefer quickly organized a group that headed back home to put together some of the best homemade pies and cakes available anywhere.In keeping with its focus on children, the fair offered several unique activities to get the attention of the younger set. John Parker, a church member and Wabash College professor, put on several regular displays of the 'Wonders of Science'. The children were awed by his demonstrations that involved dry ice, liquid nitrogen, and static electricity. Though the shows were designed for children, the adults were equally impressed with the professor's shows.

In addition to the science display, there were activities such as an art gallery, cake walk, musical chairs, and games where children could win prizes such as stuffed animals, books, and toys. The evening ended with a raffle drawing for prizes and cash that had a flat-screen television as the grand prize. Local merchants and businesses that have been regular supporters of the Church's effort in Haiti donated all the prizes. Members of the Church Advisory Board had considered scaling back this year's bazaar due to the faltering economy in the area.

However, this seemed to work to the fair's advantage as Monsignor Gibbons noted "There are a lot of people here that are taking advantage of the Bazaar as an inexpensive form of entertainment for their kids. After all, where else can you get a chicken dinner, homemade pie, and a fascinating science lesson for this price" Planning has already begun for next year's bazaar, and there has been some discussion of including live entertainment. Ms. Kiefer believes that a well-known celebrity could draw more people from the surrounding counties.

However, she likes to keep the entertainment local and said, "I like to keep them coming for the chicken."