This year, the BSM parent association created a new event to raise money for the school: Knightsbridge. A shopping event open to the public, Knightsbridge will attract Christmas shoppers with a variety of gifts for the whole family.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, vendors will line the Haben Center selling holiday gifts for children, grandparents, and everyone in-between. “We wanted to create a one-stop shopping experience for people doing their holiday shopping. This event should allow shoppers more range in items at a reasonable price,” said Mrs. Colleen Hoch, event coordinator.
Knightsbridge formed as an adaptation of the Funky to Formal event held in previous years. However, the main difference between the two events comes with the removal of the fashion show. “Mothers and daughters would come and only go to the fashion show rather than shop, and the general public didn’t think that they could shop because they weren’t going to the fashion show,” said Mrs. Hoch.
Despite the lack of the fashion show, students plan on attending the shopping extravaganza. “Even though I’m disappointed that there may not be a fashion show, I think that I will probably still go to the event because I want to go shopping, and it’s a good place to find everything I need,” said junior Liv Halverson.
Some students, however, wish that the fashion show would still happen, even if it was associated with another event. “I think that they should have the fashion show because people need something different in the middle of their shopping. And it’s fun and entertaining,” said sophomore Erin Choi.
The term Knightsbridge came from London’s upscale shopping area, and the event’s subtitle, ‘A Truly Royal Shopping Experience,’ extends upon this upscale experience. “When you walk into the Haben Center area, there will be five streets set up like streets in London that will be lined by the vendors. We will also have pictures of London projected on the walls,” said Mrs. Hoch.
The event will hold over fifty different vendors, selling items ranging from clothing to numerous kinds of food. “We have sports vendors and woodcutters, as well as the usual clothing and jewelry merchants. This year we are really trying to make this a family-friendly event, not just one for mothers and daughters, and our vendor choices reflect that change,” said Mrs. Hoch.
Free and open to the public, Knightsbridge provides funding for BSM with fifteen percent of the proceeds directly supporting educational programs at the school. “[The event] benefits the vendors because they get exposure and can sell more of their product, but it also helps raise funds for BSM,” said Mrs. Hoch.