by Rhonda Massad
For the past ten years, Nick and Lilly Bavaro have gathered their family to decorate gingerbread houses as a way to make other people’s Christmas season brighter. This year the gang moved locations from the Bavaro’s home in Beaconsfield to their newly opened business offices, Styvalo, in Dorval.
“We started doing this with our children, nieces, and nephews when they were little,” Lilly said above the competitive cheering of the decorators. “We would bring the decorated houses across the street to from our house to St. Thomas à Becket Church in Pierrefonds. It became something the children looked forward to each year.”
The tradition of giving continued when the family opened up their handbag distribution company this past fall. On December 21, the annual gingerbread competition was in full swing. Asti Spumante was served along with pizza and sweets.
“We donated a portion of the proceeds to SOS Italia for the earthquake victims in Italy in November,” Rossi stated. “Our bags are from Florence, so it made sense. Now we will donate these to Sun Youth.”
The day after the gingerbread decorating produced more than 25 tiny tasty house covered in icing and candy, Nick and his business partner drove them to downtown to the Sun Youth offices where they will be donated to families with young children who will enjoy them.
“We get into the spirit of the season,” Lilly said, “but we also get into the competitive spirit and try to out do the design of each house. It is a fun evening.”
