Garage sale event raises funds for Service Clubs of Puyallup

Saturday’s parking lot sale at the South Hill Mall marked the third combined fundraising effort for Service Clubs of Puyallup.

Members of the newly organized club include the three Kiwanis clubs, Rotary, Altrusa, Masons and three Lions Clubs.

Kiwanis club member Chris Taylor is extremely enthusiastic about the newly formed group.

“We meet the second Monday of every month at Charlie’s in Puyallup and discuss what is upcoming and what we can do to make Puyallup a better place, and how we can help and support each other,” Taylor said.

For Saturday’s sale, members of the involved clubs emptied their garages and closets and filled the parking lot next to Sears with tents and lots of goodies for sale.

Service Clubs of Puyallup has been around for about a year, said Curtis Thiel, assistant governor of the Rotary of South Hill club.

Joint advertising, membership recruitment and working as a team to make Puyallup even better was a great idea, Thiel said.

“Our goal is to look at the needs of the community,” he said.

Thiel came up with the idea of forming Service Clubs of Puyallup. The group is attempting to reach out to other nonprofits to add to the membership list.

At Service Clubs of Puyallup monthly meetings, members are hoping to invite local speakers to attend and advise the group of needs in their particular area. The organization is reaching out to Pierce College, the Puyallup School District, the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital and others for direction on how to accomplish those goals.

“We will ask them how can Service Clubs of Puyallup help them and what can we do to partner together,” Thiel said.

Karissa Thompson, a former president of Puyallup Rotary Club, said it is amazing to be involved in this new venture.

“What is so special about it is we are all doing wonderful things in the community prior to the Service Club, and all of us raised awareness, but if we come together we can make more of an impact,” she said.

Altrusa International treasurer Karlyn Black said her group is excited to be a member of Service Clubs of Puyallup.

“There is strength in numbers,” she said.

Ron Hale of the Masons agrees.

“It is a good idea because we share our calendars and it allows us to meet other groups and to pool our resources,” he said.

Taylor reported at the end of the day Saturday’s sale netted a little over $1,000.

Eighty percent of what each club raised goes back into their individual treasury, and 20 percent goes into the Service Clubs of Puyallup’s.

Leftover clothing was donated to St. Francis House.

All the groups were extremely grateful to the South Hill Mall and David Montevideo for the use of the parking lot. The club’s next big event will be a float in the Washington State Fair cattle drive parade in September.

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Garage sale event raises funds for Service Clubs of Puyallup."