
Ashley and her dog, Oakley.
Keeping up with our Placement theme, we interviewed Active Member Ashley Bruce on her experiences on the Mistletoe Market committee. See what she has to say about this high-energy, festive placement.
What is your favorite part of being on the Mistletoe Market committee?
My favorite part of Mistletoe Market is the day of the event and meeting all the vendors that we had been talking to all year long, and seeing all their hand crafted merchandise. Giving the kids cookies and milk for Santa’s story time is a lot of fun too!
You work long hours at the hospital as a respiratory therapist. How do you fit in the requirements of this committee placement with your busy schedule?
Planning meetings start in the summer and go through until the event in November, so you need to be flexible. If I couldn’t attend a meeting, I made sure to communicate with the group to get updates, and stay involved. [Committee Chair] Tamsyn was great with posting meeting documents online that we could read to stay informed of our responsibilities. It helped to have a fun and supportive group!
What qualities make someone a good fit for this committee?
This committee needs women that are fun, outgoing, work well under stress, and also work well with others. Day of the event, the vendors come in rushed and frazzled trying to get set up before the deadline – we need to stay organized and be able to ease their concerns. Be ready for the unpredictable!
Why did you choose this placement two years in a row? Would you recommend it to others?
I have had the best time at this event! It’s completely worth the amount of work required. It’s so much fun getting to know the vendors, especially those that are local. I enjoy working with kids too, so the Cookies With Santa part is great. With this event being around the holidays, it puts you in the spirit! Everyone’s creative energy starts flowing, and we come up with some great ideas! I recommend it to anyone who likes that sort of thing.

The JLC Mistletoe Market Committee at the November 22 event.