CARSTAIRS -The annual garden party put on by Grandmothers for Grandmothers Mountainview was deemed another big success.
The garden tour and tea took place at the Mountain View County home of Jean Whittaker, one of the founding members of the organization. Her property west of Secondary Highway 766 in between Carstairs and Didsbury boasts a much admired garden.
The event raised $3,500 with the money going to help grandmothers in Africa who are raising their orphaned grandchildren.
"The money goes to grandmothers in Africa who are raising their grandchildren who have been orphaned by AIDS," she said. "Initially it was just the same where we in the rich West would dish out money and the people in the East would use it. Now it's much more a partnership that isn't necessarily just for people who are poorer in material things who are accessing our support, it's people who are in an African country for advocacy work."
Whittaker said this year's country garden party had a very good turnout.
"It went very well," said Whittaker. "The weather was absolutely gorgeous. We had our tents up and used the barn; it was good. We had about 130 people or so. It's hard to tell since people don't sign in. We have tea and my husband, who is a master baker, makes Victorian sponge cake and scones and stuff like that. People come and visit and they tour the garden and ooh and ah and say, 'Oh, what a lot of work.'"
Whittaker said they had violinist Joe Mink from Didsbury performing this year.
"He was very good," she said. "Nice background music."
Whittaker said the garden party is a real community effort with everyone pitching in.
"The next door neighbour lends us a generator and 30-cup percolator for the tea, we get stuff from the church in Carstairs, the grannies all bring tables and chairs," she said. "It's a good do. We enjoy doing it. We raise quite a lot of money."
The Grandmothers group works with the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which provides care and support to women, orphaned children, grandmothers and people living with HIV and AIDS.
Over the 10 years it's been around, Grandmothers for Grandmothers Mountainview has raised more than $100,000, said Whittaker.
"Which is pretty amazing considering we never have more than 20 members," she said. "We have a good time."
Whittaker started the group 10 years ago with co-founders Mary Ellen Speers and Lynn Marten. The garden party and tea have been going for the last seven years.
The members of the group come mainly from Didsbury, Carstairs and Cremona, she said.
Whittaker said she became involved with the organization after travelling to Zambia several years ago. That led to a discussion with a couple of other like-minded ladies.
"At church one day -- it's not a church organization -- (I talked with) Mary Ellen Spears, our secretary. She went on a medical trip to Angola and South Africa and saw what goes on there with the AIDS pandemic," she said. "Our president Lynn Martens -- her mother is involved in a granny group in Saskatchewan -- was very interested. I went to a presentation Stephen Lewis did at Olds College. He's the fellow who started this foundation to support this work."
Whittaker said she was very moved by what Lewis said at Olds College.
"The three of us (founders) were just chatting after coffee in church one day and said, 'Why don't we try a grannies group? It might not go but we can try it. If it's just the three of us, then it's just the three of us. If more people care to join -- that's great,'" said Whittaker.
Whittaker said that they have found people in the community to be very supportive.
"Whenever we have an event there are all kinds of donations that we get," she said. "We have lots of fun as well. This area is extremely supportive. It's amazing."
