In what some vendors are calling a Christmas miracle, a Cambridge Christmas market is back up and running after the organizer lost over 200 vendor deposits and was forced to cancel the event.
The Cambridge market dubbed Shopalooza was slated to take place Nov. 19 at the Hespeler Legion Branch 272.
It's now the second event that has been disrupted by organizer Stacy Cliff of Stacy's Events, who posted on social media that she has a gambling addiction and lost all of the deposits from nearly 200 vendors.
"I honestly cannot say I can pay many of you back if any at all," Cliff wrote in a post in a private vendors group on Facebook. "My career as an event planner is obviously over, and I will never have myself in this position again to have control over people's money, knowing the damage I can cause with this sickness."
She describes losing over $30,000 to a gambling addiction and has since checked herself into a hospital to deal with her mental health concerns.
“It is with my most profound apologies that my mental health addiction compiled with my absolute selfishness has created a storm I cannot control,” Cliff wrote. "I’ve taken that trust, and worst, your money, and have done the very worst I can do, which is not putting it where it belongs.”
One of the vendors who lost money, Debbie Mills, has taken it upon herself to organize a group of cheated vendors to organize a new show at the Hespeler Legion.
"What we were left with is a mess," said Mills. "She gambled all our money away and had never even so much as put deposits on either venue."
Mills posted on social media looking for other vendors who lost money for the Hespeler show and started organizing the new market in its place.
The Hespeler Legion jumped on board and supported the group, giving them the hall for a discounted rate, added Mills.
"I think it was a real kick in the pants," said Max Dyke, event coordinator at the Hespeler Legion. "After hearing about what happened we wanted to do all we can to help support our community."
The vendors have reported giving Cliff between $150 and $200 for their spots at the Christmas Markets in November.
Dyke said he feels like it's his duty to help those affected by the Shopalooza event and give them the space they were originally promised.
"They are just going to charge around $10 a table to make sure that we can cover the cost of the hall, but whatever they get will be fine, we just want to make sure they can still have the event," he added. "I think it's the right thing to do, I mean they already had the hall booked and for some people this means everything."
The new event already has 90 per cent of the original vendors with an extensive wait list to fill in any gaps. Mills notes that neither herself or anyone else organizing this event are making money for putting the show together.
"We are asking if anyone comes to bring a food donation for the Cambridge Food Bank or a present for the children, this is not necessary, but anything to help," she added.
There are vendors who were booked at both events who are now searching ways to get their money back and are in the process of filing a police report for defrauding them of their money.
On Tuesday, Waterloo Regional Police Services communications officer Brad Hickey said there have not been any police reports or complaints filed against Cliff.
Mills has been helping to gather all of the contact information for the Hespeler vendors to provide police in their investigation.
"You can't get blood out of a rock, so I don't know how much money will be able to be recovered, but she will be charged," Mills said. "These women who were affected lost so much and they're going for the throat."
While Dyke did not have any direct communication with Cliff and was working through someone from her events team, he is glad she is getting the help she needs and will no longer be partaking in event planning again.
"It's good that we can deal with the vendors directly to assure them they are being taken care of," he added. "While we work first with veterans, we are also here for the community and are a community organization."
The market's name has been changed to the Christmas Craft Market to remove any connection to the previous event and will take place on Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
