Orchid fundraiser through Westerlay’s gift shop sales will help Carpinteria school kids

CARPINTERIA, Calif. - A full week of fundraising takes place at Westerlay Orchids to help the Carpinteria Education Foundation (CEF).

It begins on Oct. 22.

All of the proceeds from the Westerlay retail store will go to the CEF.

This is the fifth year for the fundraiser.

The CEF is a non-profit that has been supporting students and their academic success for more than 25 years in the areas of science and technology, language arts, humanities, culinary arts, and agriculture.

In the last two years, more than $50,000 has been raised.

Westerlay Owner and President Toine Overgaag say one of the core values of the company is support, for its employees and the greater community.

"It feels great.  It is exactly what we wanted.  It's just  that little bit extra that the enables so much more that the  kids might not be able to get," said Overgaag.

He says the company has core values. "One of those core values is support and that means support for  each other within the organization. Also for us it means support  for the broader community and a lot of our employees, their kids are in our local schools here  and it is just our way to give back to our community that's given so much to us."

Jessica Isaac is the Vice President of the Carpinteria Education Foundation. She says the funds help the students, "through field trips, the arts, technology, STEM, computer robotics, any kind of thing we can do to provide enrichment. We are working with outside organizations to  like Westerlay and bridging that with the schools."

Even with many educational opportunities in the area, Isaac says, "a lot of these kids don't get a chance to go to the MOXI or go to the zoo or go to the Natural History Museum, even though it is in our backyards. A lot of times it is showing the kids what is already here."

Even though the orchids are the star at Westerlay there are hundreds of other items around the store that are either flowers or gifts that can help the students and help the cause.

Overgaag says some items in the retail store are very unique. One was a twisted stem orchid. "This is something called a bramble.  We actually patented this. So we are the only people in the world making these."

The CEF is also holding a special Halloween-week fundraiser called Carp-a-Caboona.

For more information about the fundraising campaign go to:  www.WesterlayOrchids.com or Carpinteria Education Foundation.