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The consumer appetite is voracious this holiday season if Black Friday and Cyber Monday are any indication of spending plans.
Shoppers spent more than $52 billion over Thanksgiving weekend, a historic high according to the National Retail Federation.
On the Peninsula, midnight openings had shoppers standing in lines that wound around buildings and trickled into neighboring parking lots. At Best Buy in Newport News, the outside line stretched so far shoppers standing near the store could not see the end.
But high-definition TVs and $10 toaster ovens may not satisfy all of your holiday needs. Here is a gift guide that spreads the giving love — from the giver to the recipient to the local charitable effort that also benefits from the gesture.
Gift a puppy (or a kitten)
The Peninsula SPCA introduced a line of gift cards this year, allowing local St. Nicks to offer the gift of a pet.
There are plenty of cats and dogs to choose from, says Leslie Magner, community outreach coordinator. Giving a gift card that can help pay for a pet's adoption fee is preferable because it allows the recipient to pick out a dog or cat themselves.
Gift cards come in $25, $50, $75 and $100 increments. They can be used toward pet adoption fees (dogs cost $149, cats cost $129) or to buy SPCA merchandise.
For animal lovers whose homes are already filled with critters, a dog tote or cat tote filled with toys and treats (cost $12-$15) is a fun gift. A calendar featuring alumni SPCA animals and photo contest winners ($12) is another useful, and beneficial, stocking stuffer.
The SPCA is located at 523 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News. Gift cards and merchandise are available to purchase online at peninsulaspca.com, as well as at the SPCA itself. Call 595-1399 for more information.
Alternative giving
The Alternative Giving Fair in Williamsburg, an annual charitable shopping event that features crafts, jewelry and goods, will benefit 25 organizations this year.
The fair, which will take place at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church on Jamestown Road Sunday, features organizations like the William & Mary Campus Kitchens, Housing Partnerships Inc., Link/PORT and Williamsburg United Methodist Church youth ministry along with international organizations such as Haiti Medical Mission and Heifer International.
Shoppers can expect to find a variety of crafted gifts from around the world, including a focus on hand carved animals, hand dyed fabric and beaded jewelry representing the African arm of Helping Children Worldwide. Though an international organization, it is represented locally by Mary Beth Samms, of Williamsburg, who serves as the director of the African program.
The program focuses on a child rescue center in Sierra Leone that provides food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and education. The complementary Mercy Hospital is a 25-bed primary care hospital that serves an average of 900 patients a month.
"Last year this fair raised more than $13,000, with 100 percent of this money going to the charities," says Madelyn Larkin, one of the organizers.
The sale is open to the public from 9:15 to 11 a.m. and noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Call 229-1771 for more information.
Cartoon sale
The Friends of the Hampton Public Library are hosting a cartoon sale from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hampton Main Library.
The group will sell signed works by cartoonist Thomas McAnany, whose cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal. The 5-by-7-inch cartoons cost $10 each.
