One of the most important fundraisers of the year for the Country Women’s Association has gone by the wayside following last week’s announcement that the Royal Adelaide Show will be cancelled for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just three weeks out from the opening of the Show, organisers were left with no option but to cancel after SA Health capped daily crowd numbers to less than 10,000 people.
Local CWA members had been busy preparing more than six boxes worth of jams, preserves and handicrafts to sell at the Show, which will now need to be directed elsewhere.
State Property Officer and Tanunda CWA President, Mrs Lyn Brew was one of three members who were to stay in Adelaide during the Show to work in the busy CWA Country Cafe.
“In some ways I’m disappointed, but in another way, we were a bit fearful of handling the crowds, because you have to be very watchful. I assume there would have been COVID marshals, but once they’re in our building or marquee, it’s up to our marshals in the Association,” she said.
“It would have been a fairly stressful job, I would say.”
According to Lyn approximately 135 kilograms of jam had already been made specifically for scones at the Show, which will now need to be bottled.
“The Association has had many offers and is weighing up options as to what to do to market the jam,” she said.
“Lots of people have been good to us, and really we’ve made quite a bit of money the last 18 months for not having the Show.
“We’ve had to do all sorts of other things, like we had the state trading table trail, where on September 12 last year, we had trading tables throughout South Australia.
“On meeting day (in Tanunda) we just opened our doors, put our trading tables out and we made $750 in about three and a half hours.”
Lyn said the CWA is hopeful other opportunities will once again open up this year in light of the Show cancelling for a second time.
A 49 year veteran of CWA, Lyn herself will turn her attention to three holiday cottages in Moonta Bay being opened by the Association in the next couple of months.
“Instead of going to the Show to work, I’ll now be going over there to help get the houses ready for people to move in,” she said.
“You’ve got to jump up and move forward, don’t you?”
