READER'S OASIS BOOKSTORE

The Reader’s Oasis Bookstore was built in 2005 by Paul & Joanne Winer, as an investment to eventually start a trade school in their community, so the kids and adults in town who would like to learn a trade or own their own business would be able to learn how . They wanted to give them a chance to have their own future. That was their dream and goal for the bookstore, but the store took on a life of its own, and became a popular stop for travelers and for the millions of winter visitors who moved to the area temporarily each year, providing affordable books and hosting musical performances for the community. Nearly 20 years later, and 5 years after Paul passed away, the bookstore needs help to survive the difficult financial years it has been through recently.

MEET PAUL

Paul had more than one claim to fame. He was a musician and loved to perform in concerts, and he also had an allergy to clothing that kept him wearing next-to-nothing much of the time, which proved to be a quirky element that drew people in to see the 'naked man's bookstore.' The bookstore was Paul's passion, but Joanne had another project that kept her extremely busy.

MEET JOANNE

While Paul ran the bookstore, Joanne joined a special project in town to create a memorial garden area where people around the world could pay tribute to loved ones who had passed away. Celia's Rainbow Gardens was born, and grew into 20 acres of land, a tribute to Joanne and Paul's precious daughter, Celia, who passed away at the age of 8 due to a heart condition.

But when Paul passed away unexpectedly in 2019, Joanne was left alone to try to keep the bookstore running, in addition to the gardens, and she began to feel like their dream of bringing a trade school to the community was fading away, just trying to keep the bookstore afloat.

MEET CELIA

Celia was a miracle child. Joanne had been told she had a one in 5 million chance of ever producing an egg, let alone having it become fertilized. So, Joanne was surprised to learn she was pregnant with Celia, but the pregnancy was short, and Joanne went into premature labor at 23 1/2 weeks, and little Celia Anne was born, weighing only 1.25 lb. (0.5 kg). She was Canada's smallest surviving baby at the time, and doctors said she would not survive. But Celia was a fighter, and by the next day, she was breathing on her own. After spending 4 months in the hospital, she was just over 5 lb. (2.3 kg) when she finally was able to come home. The family moved to Quartzsite in 1990, and was embraced by the town, but in 1994, Celia caught a virus and became exhausted. She went from running around, playing, to being very ill in a matter of hours, and that night she died in Joanne's arms before an ambulance could arrive. Celia's Rainbow Gardens began in honor of Celia and has been blessing lives now for 30 years.

CELIA'S RAINBOW CARDS

Celia was always coming to the store after school and often wanted to draw cartoons like her dad did for the newspaper. Sitting side by side, Paul would create his cartoons and Celia started drawing animals and characters, with her vivid imagination as her guide. You can see some examples of the drawings in the photos here, and these cards are now for sell in the bookstore. Those who donate to this fundraiser will receive a thank you note from Joanne and an electronic version of one of the Celia's Rainbow Cards!

CELIA'S RAINBOW GARDENS

The gardens occupy 20 acres of an 80 acre park in Quartzite, and they are for anyone in the world to create a memorial for someone who has passed away, not just local residents. You can see all kinds of information about the gardens on its website, including the different memorials and monuments that have now been developed. We have included a YouTube video that shows a walkthrough of the gardens and some amazing arial drone footage. Celia's Rainbow Gardens operates with volunteers, other than town workers, and is funded through donations.