Lukana’s Dream & Vt. Law School

Team Up To Host Fundraiser

By Mary Anderson

Lukana’s Dream, on Main Street in Bethel and Vermont Law School have teamed up to host a fundraising event Thursday, Jan. 31 at the Chase Center on the law school campus in South Royalton.

The family-friendly event begins at 6 p.m. with appetizers and live music. This will be followed by a silent and live auction coordinated by VLS students and a raffle with a grand prize of a free airplane ticket. The group is asking for an optional donation at the door. Raffle tickets can be purchased ahead of time at Lukana’s Dream, the Barnard General Store and McCulloughs Quik Stop.

The non-profit Lukana’s Dream sells a variety of "recycled" items such as clothing, housewares, toys, books and jewelry. Proceeds are used to purchase items made by members of the Peruvian Q’ewar cooperative, as well as baskets created by the caregivers of AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe. The items are then sold or donated to local non-profits. The store also donates money to local projects such as Project Happy Holidays, the Bethel Town Hall restoration project, Bethel’s parent/teacher CAKE organization and gift certificates for families in need. In addition they have helped survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

The January 31 fundraiser will raise money to build a nursery/kindergarten in Peru. The school, which will be named Wawa Munakuy, or "giving love to the children," will provide a place for the children while their mothers are working at the co-op. It will also provide after school care and homework tutoring for older children.

The estimated cost to build the school is $20,000. A group from Switzerland has agreed to furnish the school, fund teachers and provide playground equipment. Men from the Peruvian town of Andahuaylillas, where the co-op is located, are making bricks which will be used to construct the building. Four women, Madeline Daniel and Cindy Shushereba from Bethel, Jan Denk from Wilder and Monique Van de Vin from South Royalton, will travel to the Peruvian town for 10 days in February to bring the money and to help with the building.

"We’ve been really fortunate with our lives and it feels good to give back," said Daniel, who is one of the store’s founders.

Lukana’s Dream is open and accepts donations Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The store is staffed by volunteers and those interested in helping can inquire there.

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