The 22nd Christmas Bazaar organised by the The International Women's Club of Riga (IWCR) took place this year on December 1st, 2018 in the Riga City Council.

It was a great cross-national cultural experience and an opportunity to taste typical food and drinks, as well as purchase original handicrafts, toys, handmade items, wine and delicacies from all around the world. The President of Latvia and the First Lady and Riga's City Mayor with family honoured the Christmas Bazaar with their presence.

This year 32 Embassies stationed in Riga participated at the event, with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates participating for the first time. At the day of the Bazaar we raised the record sum of more than EUR 46'000 which exceeds last year's results by 14%. We are very proud of this result and we are able to make a real difference in the lives of many underprivileged inhabitants of Latvia.

The charities the IWCR supports are as follows:

• The Auce Crisis Center for Children "Namiņš"
• Betlemes Maja
• Children's Palliative Care Society
• Hope for Children
• SOS Children`s Villages in Latvia
• Irlava orphanage
• Ilģuciems Women´s Prison
• Latvian Association of Cystic Fibrosis
• Latvian Foster Families Association
• Marta Centrs
• Missionaries of Charity
• Pink Train Foundation
• Ronald McDonald House Charities (Care Mobile)
• St. Saviour's Anglican Church
• The Samaritan Association of Latvia 

The event was already generously sponsored by many embassies and diplomatic missions as well as AmCham members: Amber SPA Boutique Hotel, Hotel Bergs, Grand Palace Hotel, International School of Riga, Park Inn by Radisson Riga Valdemara, Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & SPA Hotel, Riga Business School.