Ringing in some seasonal cheer amidst pandemic gloom
Amid a pandemic that shows no signs of letting up, the ICCB is celebrating its 40th edition since its inception in 1980 and to mark this milestone, for the first time ever, the Bazaar is being held online. Instead of a single day sale the Bazaar offers online shopping from November 10 to December 1.
It was a challenge indeed for the ICCB committee comprising both local and expatriate ladies, who talk of how they adapted and persevered to organise one of Sri Lanka’s largest seasonal bazaars online.
“We are all having mixed emotions this year, but pride would have to ring loudest,” they say explaining that the ICCB has been a resilient event. It had gone on through security obstacles and now a pandemic.
Everyone was going through hardships especially after the Easter Sunday bombings of last year and many of the causes the ICCB support ‘lost their voices’ in the wave of troubled times.
“We host just one event annually to support several causes throughout the year; we had to be strong for them and ensure that people remember our special causes through the hard times too,” they share on why they decided to go ahead with the Bazaar.
However the shift to going online was an uphill task.
From creating a new website, finding sponsors, the dilemma of how items from the Bazaar would be collected/delivered and much more, it was a lot to push through.
Further many activities couldn’t be adapted virtually as many of the goods sold at the Bazaar are brought from abroad or made fresh such as food items. The revenue earned from entrance tickets was lost as well.
Yet, the committee sees a bright side to things since instead of what they call “one single day of chaos”, by opening an online store they are able to invite shoppers daily to enjoy the Bazaar at their leisure and the Chatham Luxury Raffle with mouthwatering prizes is live on their website as well!
“We are so grateful to all our partners, both old and new who have come forward in an unprecedented way to make this possible. We are feeling so proud and grateful that we too have adapted and the ICCB is seeing its 40th year in this new way under our tenure,” they tell us as they invite everyone to indulge in a little bit of early Christmas shopping.
HSBC Bank joins hands with ICCB as its new title sponsor, in supporting many deserving local charities including Appe Lanka, Emerge Global, the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation and Ease.
The Bazaar will be online till December 1 so visit iccbsrilanka.shopbox.lk soon. The goods you purchase can be collected or you could have them delivered through the ICCB’s web partner Shopbox.