Residents urged to light a ‘WICK’ for good cause

Duane Hicks

Crystal Lindal is looking to light a “WICK” for a good cause and keep it burning–but she can’t do it alone.
In support of the new women’s resource centre in Fort Frances, the Arbor Vitae resident is striving to pre-sell 1,200 Pink Zebra candles as part of a fundraising campaign she’s calling the “Women Inspiring Change Kick-off” (WICK).
What she needs right now is community volunteers to help get the word out and collect orders for the Pink Zebra candles, which are unique in that they’re made from soya-based scented sprinkles that melt together as the special wick in the centre as the candle burns down.
“I need some amazing volunteers right now to get the word out, to sell these candles, so I [can] get them ordered and have them made,” said Lindal, noting she would love to have at least 20 volunteers help out.
“I know that this area is amazing for its volunteerism so I thought ’20 volunteers,'” she remarked.
“But if we could have 30 volunteers and each one sold 10 candles, it’s going to get us close and it’s going to get us to an amazing amount.
“I am hoping this can raise $4,000-plus,” Lindal noted.
“It’s a big endeavour to take but I have seen this community come together and pull together real quick when they need to–and it’s for a great cause,” she stressed, clarifying her commission is part of the amount that will go to the centre.
Lindal said she has order sheets, which she can give to volunteers to canvass their communities or just their family and friends.
Volunteers will be responsible for pre-selling the candles and then getting the funds to Lindal, who will maintain a list of everyone who ordered them.
She wants to have all orders in to her by Feb. 25 so she can order the materials to make the candles.
Lindal is offering two varieties of candles for the fundraiser.
The first is “Stone Washed Denim” paired with “Hawaiian Coconut” while the second one is “Hope Berry Chamomile” paired with “True Lavender.”
(In addition to helping the local women’s resource centre, 10 percent of the sales of the second variety will go to Pink Zebra’s national “HEROES” program, which helps single moms).
They can be bought individually for $13 each or as a set for $25.
After the candle sprinkles arrive in mid-March, Lindal and the volunteers will get together and have a “candle-making day” at the women’s resource centre to get them ready.
Essentially, this will entail mixing the right scented sprinkles in their jars with wicks and putting on custom labels.
Those who have ordered the candles then can pick them up at the women’s resource centre (located at 330 Scott St.)
To volunteer or to order candles, contact Lindal on Facebook @pzycrystallindal, e-mail her at sprinklescanada@gmail.com, or call/text her at 275-9572.
Because the cost of shipping candles would cut into the fundraising proceeds, Lindal said she cannot take orders and ship candles via mail.
But she already has received some long-distance cash donations from those who are supporting the campaign but not expecting a candle in return, and this money will be used towards keep the candle program going.
She welcomes any other such donations.
Sustainable fundraiser
Meanwhile, beyond the initial “WICK” campaign, Lindal has plans to “keep the flame going.”
She said she was inspired to help raise funds for the women’s resource centre while attending and helping out at the women’s holistic health retreat held here back in late November.
There she connected with Heather Johnson, an outreach worker for the Rainy River District Women’s Shelter, and came up with a way for women at the centre to have the candles be an ongoing fundraiser for the resource centre.
Those people who buy candles as part of the initial kick-off can bring their empty candle jars back to the women’s resource centre and trade them in for $1 off a new candle.
As needed, women at the centre will order supplies and be responsible for taking in the jars, making new candles, and having them available year-round for people to come in and purchase to keep the fundraising going.
“We are hoping that we can keep focus on [this] as a community for quite a long time,” said Lindal.
“Keep the flame going, keep the candles going.”
This type of hands-on fundraising hopefully will give women who utilize the centre “a sense of being part of the centre, being part of the funds coming into the centre, having responsibility, and being part of the community.”
The candles also might bring some entrepreneurship to some ladies who utilize the centre, as well as a sense of giving back to the centre that has helped them.