Summer Fair

As the sun rose on the morning of Saturday 6th June, the day of the annual Wellington College International Tianjin Charity Summer Fair had finally arrived. As promised, this year's event was both bigger and better than in previous years, with over ninety outside vendors offering games and activities, foods and drinks, and so much more. On-stage performances of traditional Chinese tea ceremonies and junior school dance troupes (to name but a few) gave the event a truly electric atmosphere, with Tianjin's traditional stilt performers starting off proceedings with their customary Drum Dance. The Sports Hall was once again transformed into a children's safe play area and a much-needed parents hideaway, with fun for all the family at every turn. This would be an ideal opportunity to comment on the wonderful parent community at Wellington, who not only supported their children in all preparations for their House stalls, but more importantly got stuck in themselves, cooking and preparing wonderful food and drink from their home countries, as well as enjoying the sights and sounds of the Fair at the same time. Pupils in both the Junior and Senior Schools created some wonderful games and activities in their Houses - Orange, Stanley, Blucher and Wellesley each ran stalls that offered everything from health drinks to traditional games such as 'Bat the Rat.' Everyone's favourite game, however, remains 'Sponge The Teacher' and with the warm Tianjin sun beating down on the crowds, even the teachers seemed to quite enjoy it too! Art exhibitions, Design and Technology products made by pupils themselves and so, so much more were on offer all through the afternoon, and as the crowds slowly began to trickle away, the students felt very proud of what had been achieved. The Fair also offered a valuable opportunity to promote local enterprises - the groups that really tend to hold communities together. From delicatessens to farm products and restaurants, the event was a platform for some of Tianjin's more unique small enterprises to get some well-deserved recognition. Stalls in aid of the Nepal Earthquake Relief and local abandoned cats and dogs also gained valuable exposure, raising awareness for both global and local issues respectively. This year's charity event, however, was held in support of the China Development Foundation - a nationwide group that supports teachers in rural locations by bridging the gap between eastern and western educational institutions in China. With around 2000 people in attendance of this year's event, and with all stalls offering a minimum donation towards the cause, the event raised considerable funds that will be used by the foundation to provide teacher training opportunities for rural communities. The Summer Fair at Wellington College International Tianjin is an event for all the community, and is a true celebration of the role of an international school in an increasingly diverse yet passionately traditional city. Being the only event of its kind in Tianjin, we can only wait in eager anticipation to see what surprises await us next year...