By Ruth SOWBY

The Crescenta Valley Lions ended the year strongly having its signature fundraiser Fall Into the Holidays boutique. The Lions Club has a storied history that stretches back to 1917. According to Wikipedia, Lions Clubs International is an international service organization that boasts over 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members (including the youth wing Leo) in more than 200 geographic areas around the world.

At Saturday’s boutique, held on the campus of St. Luke’s of the Mountains, each of 30 vendors had their names listed on a map that was distributed to customers, making them easily found. Products ranged from knit goods to embellished greeting cards, a bake sale to clothing, and berry bowls to nuts. From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., customers filled the patio of St. Luke’s of the Mountains. 

Buying was definitely on the brains of the shoppers.     

Tina Means’s booth of designer greeting cards was among the most visual. She is an expert in Diamond Art, also known as diamond painting. Means places rhinestones – called drills – onto a pre-printed, adhesive canvas using a color-by-number key. Each card sells for $10.    

A bake sale offered pastries by Berolina Bakery in Montrose. The company’s generosity in donating the pastries saved Lions volunteers from doing all of the baking. Popular among the goodies were the chocolate croissants and sour dough bread loaves.        

Clothing and jewelry were also favorites. Susana Isais’s fare included totes by designer Johnny Was. She sold them at basement prices compared to the designer’s usual prices. For example, a flowered tote was $85 at Susana’s compared to several hundred dollars though the designer.      

Many agreed that the choir, Monday at JoJo’s which serenaded the shoppers with Christmas music, was the perfect accompaniment to serious shopping.  

Boutique chair and Lions Club secretary Diana Tyson estimates boutique proceeds at $2,500. That money will be dedicated to Lions Club student scholarships and the Firehouse Youth Center, a meeting center and safe house for local middle schoolers and teens. It is open at St. Luke’s on Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. for middle schoolers.   

According to Tyson, “The boutique has become a community event for shopping for and visiting with neighbors. There were a lot of local people.”

Upcoming is a Crescenta Valley Lions Club sponsored event – the Harvest Food Drive with proceeds benefitting the Bailey Center. The food drive is on Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  For more information, email LIONS91214@GMAIL.COM.