'World's Largest Coffee Break' takes a sip for fair trade
It's being billed as the "World's Largest Coffee Break."
On Saturday, local residents can sip coffee -- Fair Trade, of course -- with thousands of others across the globe to show support for fair trade practices during several local events celebrating World Fair Trade Day.
The World Fair Trade Festival at Hometown Junction Park in Verona, 300 S. Main St., and A Greater Gift, 2701 Monroe St., will participate in a global sip-a-thon at 2 p.m. These will be among coffee breaks staged simultaneously around the globe on World Fair Trade Day, aimed at setting a world record and highlight the benefits of fair trade.
It's among events local businesses and organizations focused on fair trade will hold this weekend to celebrate World Fair Trade Day.
Middleton's fair trade clothing company, Fair Indigo (fairindigo.com), will again donate all sales at its Hilldale Shopping Center store Saturday to schools near and far. It's the second year the store has donated a day's sales to honor the day devoted to this cause. Half of store sales will go to the school of customers' choice and the other half to the company's foundation, which supports education in developing countries. Last year the event raised $8,000.
In addition to joining in the coffee break, SERRV International's A Greater Gift store (www.agreatergift.org) will have family games and crafts, a Fair Trade photo booth and food from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Verona's festival, organized by Indigo Coffee & Tea (www.indigocoffeeandtea.com), will also have live music, face painting, chalk art, fair trade soccer, a children's market bazaar and a fair trade gift raffle.
Also, Just Coffee cooperative (www.justcoffee.coop) and Family Farm Defenders (www.familyfarmdefenders.org) on Sunday will host five coffee growers from fair trade farms in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Peru. The event at Just Coffee, 1129 E. Wilson St., will include a potluck meal. On Monday, the delegation will visit farms across southern Wisconsin. For more information, go to www.familyfarmdefenders.org.
Organized by the International Fair Trade Association, World Fair Trade Day is held on the second Saturday each May to promote fair trade practices around the world. Go to www.wftday.org/english/index.htm for more information.
File photo
Coffee beans are the order of the day on Saturday -- World Fair Trade Day.
