Westlake Junior Women's Club hosts boutique for local charities
Items were sold to raise money for a variety of worthy causes

SWEET TOOTH- Westlake Hills Elementary School kindergarten student Allison Hallock, 6, licks the icing from a goodie for sale at the Cupcakes for Cancer booth at the 26th annual Gingerbread Fundraising Boutique held at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village. The event is sponsored by the Westlake Junior Women's Club to provide funds for charities.

The Westlake Junior Women's Club held its 26th annual Gingerbread Fundraising Boutique Nov. 15 and 16 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Westlake Village.

Patrons arriving early in the morning of Nov. 15 attended the "Candy Cane Lane" VIP reception, which included a continental breakfast catered by Merlin's Kitchen.

Artisans at the boutique sold a variety of items including apparel, jewelry, children's clothing and toys, handmade crafts, bed and bath essentials, handbags, shoes, and holiday decor.

Blakely Colven, 13, sold homemade cupcakes to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties.

Blakely, a survivor herself, started her own nonprofit, Cupcakes for Cancer, and has already raised thousands of dollars for a classmate with leukemia. She hopes to raise enough funds to grant a wish for other kids living with cancer.

Shoppers were able to bid on theme-decorated trees during the event's "Festival of Trees and Lights" silent auction. Westlake Village Junior Women's Club members sold homemade baked goods, including pumpkin pie bars, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and carrot cake loafs.

Proceeds from the boutique benefit local charities including Many Mansions, Lighthouse Women and Children's Mission, Senior Concerns/Meals on Wheels, MakeAWish Foundation and Santa Comes to Agoura, among others.

For more information, call Lesley Lippel at (818) 597-1617 or go online to www .westlakejuniors.org.