Hooray for Us!!! We raised over $2500 – a stupendous effort for what amounted to 6 hours selling Trash’n’Treasure, with most items under $10. Now that’s a LOT of sales.

And in bear language, that’s 2 whole months of Bear Care Club costs taken care of in just one morning! So it’s a substantial contribution towards Jigsaw’s annual upkeep.

An early start is de rigeur – and we’re talking 4am – so that stall set-up can get underway by 5 am. Thankfully it’s just light enough to see what you’re doing (I can’t imagine doing a stall in winter). Once again I had a very committed team of helpers (including some genuine early-birders – a must!) and before long we had our new tent and banner erected, with Bernadette’s colourful bunting streaming out to the corners. Before you could rub the sleep from your eyes the dealers came, poking around with their torches, hoping to sniff out the bargains. From then on it was Game On! with hardly a breath drawn till final pack-down at 1pm! Those who could joined us back at the house for much-earned drinks & BBQ enjoying the thrill of the Money Counting Ceremony!

Highlights of the Day

Funniest Home Video of the day awarded to the chocolate labrador who lunged into the basket of toys and triumphantly dragged out a chicken!

Most Generous Purchase of the day – small collectible teacup & saucer set sold for $90 to a lady who wanted a small gift that would donate a large sum to our cause

Cutest Purchase of the day to a very determined young man who appropriated the small wooden toy cart I had set aside “out the back” of the stall for myself. He clasped the handle firmly and marched it up the footpath. His mother came running back with a fistful of dollars

Cleverest Marketing idea : handing out AAMB “business cards” with every purchase

Best Conversations of the day: with people who remembered us from last year and couldn’t wait to support us again

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

To all of you who donated goods

To all of you who helped me sort and sift

To all of you who came along to assist on the day

To all of you who sent wishes for a successful day

To all of you who keep showing up to support AAMB

A BIG thank you on behalf of Jigsaw and his bear buddies. Their lives are healthier and happier because YOU care to make a difference

Our Very own Jigsaw!

I can hardly believe that we have already been back for two weeks, yet still not had time to tell you about our fabulous visit to see Jigsaw at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre !

Meeting Jigsaw and seeing him with all his bear buddies was a dream come true!! Unless you visit an AAF sanctuary you’re unlikely to ever see such happy, contented bears in your whole life! We almost had to remind ourselves that only 2 years ago, these big, black, glossy creatures were hungry, thin, dull-furred bears, living with the pain of their abusive existence on bear-bile farms.

Suffice to say we laughed – and cried – at the sight of these lovely bears, making the most of their new lives, overseen with such care and devotion by all the staff at VBRC. Tuan, what a great team you have!! I bring home such a deep sense of gratitude that Jigsaw and his friends are being cared for so lovingly by you all.

Over the next few months I will share more about our visit: meeting and talking with the staff, the world of the bears (including the family of Sun bears), plus more about Jigsaw (of course!). I managed to get quite a bit of video footage of bears foraging, playing, chilling and just choofing around their enclosures. I’m looking forward to creating some little Youtube videos that will bring the bears’ world into your world and hopefully all the way into your hearts. I tell you, once you see them up close and personal, you want to do everything possible to rescue as many bears as you can from their horrible plight on the farms.
AAF has extensive expansion plans for the Rescue Centre as over half the bears at the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre are still waiting for additional outside enclosures to be built. They too deserve to enjoy the sun on their backs and the grass under their feet, just like our very, very lucky Jigsaw. Everything we can do to support our boy Jigsaw means that other donated money can be directed to these much-needed new enclosures.

Camberwell Market Stall this Sunday November 6

I’ll have to blame Jigsaw for the news blackout as I have been busily organising his Market Stall for this coming Sunday November 6. The house is bulging with donated goodies as are Bill’s eyes as he surveys the back shed and spare room. Thank you to all who have emptied their cupboards!

Paws crossed for good weather and a generous crowd of shoppers! Please come along and join us, and meet some of the gang. Remember to bring your friends.