Colorado market raising funds to benefit hurricane victims

LOVELAND, Colo. — When The Old House Vintage Market returns to Loveland Nov. 10-11 for its holiday market — featuring more than 80 spaces of upscale antique, vintage, salvage, upcycled and handmade items from Colorado and beyond — the fun will be about more than kicking off the holiday season. Organizers hope to also celebrate the success of the first OHVMgives initiative. This effort is about raising $10,000 to benefit victims of Hurricane Harvey in Southern Texas.

Striving to Help 

Donations are being collected through the sale of Friday Night Shopping Party tickets with half of the money from each $16 ticket going directly to benefit charities doing the most good on the ground in Texas.

“So many people are wondering how to help, and this is a simple way for our shoppers to provide that help without any additional cost to them,” said OHVM Founder Bernadette Rankin. “Our original intent with OHVMgives was to choose a Colorado-based charity to donate proceeds made through the tickets we sell. We were worried about helping a different state when we have needs here in our own, but as one vendor told me, when I asked how Coloradans might feel about donating to Texas, ‘It’s not a Colorado thing and it’s not a Texas thing — it’s a human thing’ and we are all one disaster away from needing help ourselves.”

Furthermore, the need for help in Texas is large. The White House estimates that at least 100,000 homes were damaged in the storm and over 32,000 people are expected to be displaced for months thanks to one of the most costly natural disasters in U.S. history.

“I want our shoppers and vendors to feel ownership of this initiative and to feel the camaraderie in knowing that we are all heading toward meeting this goal together,” Rankin said.

Vendors Rallying Behind the Effort

As a testament to that camaraderie, various vendors have joined the fundraising effort, pledging donations of their own.

“We really have the most amazing vendors who feel compelled to help,” Rankin said. “Some are — like me — Texas natives, and others have family and friends there, but others simply want to do their part to help those in need.”

Tickets to the Holiday Old House Vintage Market are on sale now and shoppers who buy their Friday Night Shopping Party tickets online will receive an OHVM-branded tote, vouchers for free snacks and drinks, other goodies from vendors while supplies last, and — of course — first dibs on the merchandise.

OHVMgives More Information

There will also be all-day shopping from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. Tickets are available

online for $6 and will be available at the door. Friday tickets also get shoppers in for free Saturday. Children 12 and younger get in free both days.

The Holiday Old House Vintage Market will be held at the McKee 4-H Building on the Larimer County Fairgrounds. Market updates are available on the Facebook page.

For more information, visit www.OldHouseVintageMarket.com.