Saturday was World Fair Trade Day, and some local businesses did their part to celebrate.

Worldly Goods, 223 Main St., Caf‚ Diem, 229 Main St., and Wheatsfield Cooperative, 413 Douglas Ave. provided different activities throughout the morning and afternoon to celebrate World Fair Trade Day.

Worldly Goods was open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Activities included a drawing for small door prizes and a children’s story hour. The door prizes included woven baskets, handmade knickknacks, teacups, Fair Trade chocolate and jelly bean food sampling. Store volunteers read cultural children’s books from the store. They also answered questions about fair trade and its importance in the world.

Tammi Martin, a volunteer at Worldly Goods, said Saturday mornings are typically a busy time on Main Street, and today was no exception.

“Most Saturdays, people come in looking for something specific, and with Mother’s Day tomorrow, we have had quite a few purchases,” Martin said.

Most of the workers involved in World Fair Trade Day at Worldly Goods were volunteers. Margy Chamberlin has been volunteering at Worldly Goods since summer 2002. After being referred by a friend, Chamberlin looked into the store’s volunteering opportunities.

“I was really looking to volunteer and was having troubles finding opportunities in Ames,” she said. “After learning about fair trade and [volunteer] training, I started working here.”

Chamberlin also volunteers in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing of Reiman Gardens. She said she really believes in serving and helping others and doing good in her life, and that volunteering is a way she feels she can help in some small way.

Chamberlin also said prices seem to be reasonable for college students. She said she noticed college students coming in and saying great things about the store.

Jared Sweerin, senior in industrial technology, was one student who was present at Worldly Goods. After looking around the store for a bit, he purchased a unique ceramic. He said he likes shopping at Fair Trade stores to escape the usual.

“You find a lot of things that aren’t mainstream,” Sweerin said.

Small events were also held at Caf‚ Diem and Wheatsfield Cooperative. Fair Trade coffee was available at Caf‚ Diem, and organic, Fair Trade food was available at Wheatsfield Cooperative. Caf‚ Diem also hosted a bit of Fair Trade trivia.