Water at the heart of garden, antique fair in Barrington Hills
It's everywhere - the clear liquid that comes out of the silver spout. It trickles down your face while you shower. It mixes into your lemonade or tea. It circles the drain while you brush your teeth. It makes up the majority of your body. It's everywhere - except Africa.
In February, Vicky Wauterlek, president of Hands of Hope, saw firsthand the value of water to those living in Zambia.
"The wells are shallow and the water breeds disease. They are in real need of some good clean drinking water," said Wauterlek. "We have been funding the building of a school for orphans and poverty-stricken children and we want to build a well close to the children.
"Originally there were two wells, but one broke down," said Wauterlek. "Now there is only one deep well for a community of 10,000 people, so water is a real issue."
To address that issue, local artists have hand-painted glass carafes. They will act as a gift for every person making a $100 donation to the "Build a Well Project." Folks can purchase the carafes at the Hope for Africa tent during the 8th annual Barrington Country Garden and Antique Faire, which is hosted annually by Hands of Hope to raise money for its causes.
Marlene Wood, owner of Positive Strokes Art School in Palatine, was happy to get on board with the project. Using her studio and supplies, two local artists, Patsy O'Brien and Sandi Karnatz, painted 24 carafes they donated.
"We love to give positive strokes," said Wood. "We do a lot of community-based giving and help good causes. When I learned about this group of women and children who are dying because of the lack of good water or water period, we wanted to be a part of this to make things different and save the lives of people who have already had a lot taken away from them."
O'Brien and Karnatz spent about six hours on the project. Jill Funk, owner of Kaleidoscope School of Art in Barrington, along with 11 teachers, spent about the same amount of time and donated three dozen hand painted carafes.
"They have a garden theme with flowers and butterflies," said Funk. "They should be a wonderful draw. Some of our students' parents already wanted to buy them when they saw them."
The one-of-a-kind niche of the carafes should provide universal appeal. They are dishwasher safe and might retail for about $30. If all 160 donated carafes go, it will equate to the $16,000 needed to build a well.
"The carafes are beautiful and they come with a tag on them that say they helped to build a well," Wauterlek said. "They make for a nice wedding or Christmas present and are meaningful because they helped a community of people."
The Barrington Country Garden and Antique Faire takes place Friday and Saturday. It acts as the main fundraiser for the nonprofit Hands of Hope, which has raised more than $1.3 million through past fairs to help the needy in Africa.
"I always think about water when I turn it on because I am very aware of what's going on with resources, both in America and other countries," said Wood. "This is an additional group of people I will think about."
If you go
What: Barrington Country Garden & Antique Faire
Where: Three estates in Barrington Hills, accessible by shuttle only
Includes: Garden workshops, a peek at private estate gardens, chefs sharing vegetable garden secrets, 20 antique and boutique vendors
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Cost: $50 for two-day pass
Early buy: $75, 8:30-10 a.m. Friday
Parking: Free, with shuttle; 800 Hart Road both days, and Friday only at Barrington High School, 616 W. Main St.
Workshop schedule
1 p.m. Friday: Debra Phillips, Master Gardener and owner of Scentimental Gardens in Geneva, "Think Outside the Pot"
11 a.m. Saturday: Chefs Roberto Orozco and Mickey Ogelsby of Prickly Pear in La Grange
1 p.m. Saturday: Mayo Underwood, of Underwood Gardens: organic vegetable gardening and benefits of eating organic
Call: (847) 622-5201 or visit www.handsofhopeonline.org