Far North grandmother a jam-making success story - buy a jar
The Far North grandmother at the centre of an internet sensation says she can't understand the worldwide fuss about her charity jam-making.
What started as a simple post on the Northern Advocate's Facebook page on Wednesday, reporting that Waipapa pensioner Gloria Crawford had made her 10,000th jar of jam for hospice, quickly went viral.
The 71-year-old has been making jams, pickles and sauces for Hospice Mid-Northland for the past seven years, but in 2009 health authorities put a stop to her fundraising efforts because her goodies were not made in a dedicated commercial kitchen. She refused to pack away her jam-making pots and, after a long battle, won the right to carry on.
Wednesday's Facebook post had soon been shared around New Zealand, then spread overseas where it has been read by tens of thousands of people from the UK to Poland, Denmark to the USA.
As of 2.30pm on Friday the post had been seen by 90,144 people worldwide. It had been shared 522 times, attracting 523 comments and 9547 'likes'. Most of the comments praised Mrs Crawford's community spirit; some criticised food safety regulations and their effect on charities.
Mrs Crawford told the Advocate yesterday, as she was dropping off a fresh batch of goodies at Kerikeri's hospice shop, that she couldn't believe the fuss over something as simple as an old lady making jam.
"If I'd won a gold medal at the Olympics I'd understand it, but doing something simple like this ... it doesn't seem worthy of all the attention."
Mrs Crawford and her husband Ian did not have a computer at home or use Facebook, but had been alerted to the internet sensation by hospice and younger relatives.
"My granddaughter from Turangi rang up, saying 'Nana, you're famous'. She was so thrilled she was just about jumping down the telephone."
However, she was finding the attention slightly embarrassing.
"It's not my thing. I don't do it for the accolades, I do it because I like doing it. Giving something gives me a bigger buzz than someone saying I'm marvellous."
She believed the story had resonated with people because it was about old-fashioned values of helping one's community, and because heart-warming news appealed to people bombarded by stories of greed or hatred. They may also have liked reading about an individual triumphing over bureaucracy.
"If I think I'm in the right, my heels go in. It was the principle. The law was depriving a lot of people, like schools, scouts and community groups."
Want to get your hands on some of 'Jam Lady' Gloria Crawford's famous jam? Bid here on Trade Me … all proceeds to Mid North Hospice.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=531772781&ed=true
Trade Me Listing #: 531772781
