The International Women's Club of Moldova (IWCM) will stage the 13th Winter Charity Bazaar in pavilion No. 2 of the exhibitions center “Moldexpo” on December 5, between 10.00 and 16.00, members of the Club announced at a news conference on December 3, Info-Prim Neo reports. The festive program of the Winter Bazaar will be exceptional - special performance by one of the best singers of Moldova, Nelly Ciobanu, a great musical program, a masked show, Santa Clause, a raffle with lots of valuable prizes and much more. This year about 18 countries and international organizations will offer specialties from their regions, gift items specific to their countries, and other items of interest for sale. There will be 40 participants and 27 sponsors and partners. Twenty-five sponsors announced that they will support the charity raffle. About 4,000 persons are expected to visit the Bazaar. The Club's president Marcia Grafin Lambsdorff, who is the wife of the German Ambassador to Moldova, said she is very glad that the Charity Bazaar becomes an event that is expected in Chisinau. “This fair and other charity actions are organized by the Club on a voluntary basis. The Club members devote their time and sometimes invest their money to make the activities successful,” she said. Nazli Ulker, the wife of the Turkish Ambassador, said about 100 prizes offered by restaurants, hotels and travel agencies will be distributed at the charity raffle this year. The prizes include sweets and beverages, cosmetic products, jewelry and two plane tickets for a trip to Istanbul and a romantic tour in Romania for the winter holidays. A raffle ticket costs 10 lei. Charla Chaudry, coordinator of the grant committee and wife of the U.S. Ambassador in Chisinau, said the proceeds will go to the Children's Rehabilitation Center in Tarnova village, where about 200 children who suffer from tuberculosis or are exposed to the risk of getting the disease are now treated, and to the auxiliary boarding school in Razalai village, which is an orphanage for 84 boys and girls aged between 7 and 16. All the children suffer from physical or mental disabilities or Down syndrome. In 2008, after the artesian well went dry as a result of drought, the IWCM financed the installation of a water pipe. The children were also provided with new beds and now need mattresses. Thus, the IWCM wants to collect funds by the Winter Bazaar and buy mattresses. The International Women's Club of Moldova was founded in 1997. It includes women from Moldova and abroad who are interested in friendship and charity activities. All the Club's activities are voluntary and the proceeds are donated. During 12 years, the Club collected about US$130,000 that was donated to schools and hospitals.