Celebrating
20 Years:
The market welcomes 7,000 to 8,000 patrons annually with those numbers expected to grow with the addition of a third shopping day this year. Since inception, the event has raised $3.3 million for the Fort Bend County area and has benefited numerous charitable organizations, including Texana, Fort Bend Women’s Shelter, the American Red Cross, Hope for Three, Boys and Girls Clubs and Attack Poverty. “I love hearing stories from our beneficiaries and how the grants that come from the Sugar Plum Market have made such a lasting impact on the individuals and families they serve. It truly makes the long hours and any stressful moments worth it,” said Engleman. “I love seeing the lines form each day of the market. The excitement and enthusiasm from our patrons is so energizing.” As the league continues its trailblazing annual shopping tradition and in commemoration of their 20th anniversary, they have named three Honorary Chairs for the Sugar Plum Market. They are Amy West Becker, Lizz Sansone and KK West. These women were among the visionary leaders that created this charitable event through their dedication, volunteer service and creativity.
The Historical Allure and Success of FBJSL’s Sugar Plum Market By Tanya Sterling
T
housands of ladies avidly shopping, talking and laughing, vendors enthusiastically selling their wares, delicious food and drinks being served, an all-volunteer team of ladies plus thousands of dollars being raised for area charities – welcome to the Fort Bend Junior Service League’s (FBJSL) 20th anniversary Sugar Plum Market (SPM)! What initially began as a shopping event at the now shuttered Fort Bend Country Club with approximately 50 vendors, a few hundred attendees and $10,000 raised has now morphed into an event with thousands of patrons, hundreds of vendors and in 2019, raised a record $345,000. In 2020, the League hosted the Sugar Plum Marketplace, a virtual version of the event which raised $150,000. “The growth of the Market has been amazing on so many fronts. It began as a small event at Fort Bend Country Club with a couple dozen local vendors plus a few hundred friends and neighbors in attendance. Now, the market is a wellregarded event not only in our area but within the vendor community across the state and has an endless vendor wait list each year,” said Brigit Engleman, 2021 Sugar Plum Market Co-Chair and FBJSL Past President. “There are so many wonderful milestones that have been reached due to the dedication of so many past co-chairs and committee members.”
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2021 Sugar Plum Market Honorary Co-Chairs Lizz Sansone, KK West and Amy West Becker.
“Fort Bend County and our residents are always so supportive of our fundraising efforts,” said Lizz Sansone, FBJSL Charter Member, Past President and Former SPM Co-Chair. “The FBJSL’s Sugar Plum Market has always been a pioneer in raising monies for the area. In a sense, the league really kicked off community fundraising in this immediate area.” “Lizz, Amy and I are delighted to be Honorary Chairs,” said KK West, FBJSL Past President and Founding SPM CoChair. “One of the original goals was to create a charitable fundraiser that would benefit our community, and we have all worked really hard at it while having fun. It truly takes a village to successfully make it happen.” The Sugar Plum Market originated and came into fruition when ladies from the FBJSL strived to raise funds for area charities. They wanted to create a fun holiday shopping extravaganza in Fort Bend, and Houston’s Nutcracker Market was a template for their vision. Their initial vision was to host vendors for shopping as well as a fashion show, which also included some local talent. “We noticed a need for something similar to the Nutcracker on the west side of Houston,” said Sansone. “Monica Townley was an original co-chair who was highly instrumen-
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