Ready, set, go!
Coupeville Lions Club’s annual garage sale is back
— Created June 22, 2022 by Kathy Reed
By Kathy Reed
The anticipation is building as people await the return of the Coupeville Lions Club’s annual garage sale, to be held July 2 and 3 at Coupeville Elementary School at South Main Street and Hwy. 20. Hours Saturday, July 2, are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, July 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a preview Friday, July 1, from 3 to 6 p.m.
This will be the first time the full indoor/outdoor sale will be held since 2019.
“This is our 43rd annual garage sale and the first one in three years that will be a full-up sale because of the pandemic,” said Brian Pulk, the garage sale committee chair for the Coupeville Lions. “We did continue the sale in 2020 online and last year we had an outdoor-only sale, so this is the first time since 2019 for the full sale. We’re really excited about that.”
Over the course of its 43 years, the Lions’ annual garage sale has built up a reputation for having something for everyone, and this year will be no exception, according to organizers. Those attending can expect to find furniture, power tools, bikes, lawn mowers, plants, patio furniture and accessories, appliances, electronics, kitchen items, exercise equipment, linens, books, toys and more.
“For people who have never been here, this is the biggest rummage sale they will have ever been to,” said Pulk. “They will not believe it. It’s not your typical garage sale.”
The sale may only last two days, but this event is something that keeps members of the Coupeville Lions Club busy all year long.
“It’s an all-year deal for all of us,” said Pulk. “For club members, it’s a source of camaraderie and teamwork. Most of us are retired, and we enjoy doing this.”
Members say this is truly a community event. Everything will be gone come Sunday afternoon and the storerooms will be empty – but only temporarily, because the community will make sure there is plenty to sell next year.
“We don’t solicit for items,” Pulk said. “Everybody seems to know about us. It surprises me that at end of this sale, we have pretty much empty storage, and by next year it will be filled again.”
“As a Lion of 16 years, I most enjoy the process of setting up the garage sale, which takes two full weeks,” said Coupeville Lions Club member Deanna Rogers. “It’s a time to see the treasures donated from our community and have been stored waiting for this sale. It’s fun to unpack and display these items with my fellow Lions. We all have the same motivation, to earn funds which are given back to our amazing community.”
That, according to Pulk, is the driving force behind this sale, which is one of two annual fundraising events for the Coupeville Lions Club.
“The garage sale is not just about making money,” he said. “All year we take donations from people looking to find homes for the items they’d like to donate. We pick them up, people are happy get them off their hands, and we only take things we think we can sell. In turn, we can take all that stuff and provide it for those can’t afford to buy new. In turn, all the money we make goes back into the community.”
The club has a long list of things for which it provides grants, such as scouting, school athletes, Camp Horizon (a Lions’ summer camp in Blaine for disabled individuals), Island County Senior Services, school health screenings and individuals in need of financial assistance for health or vision screenings.
“Those are just some of the things we help with, we get many requests throughout the year,” Pulk said.
While the organization was able to hold modified versions of its annual garage sale in 2020 and 2021, those modified versions raised only about 60-percent of what the sale typically raises, which did affect the club’s ability to give as much in grants. That’s just one of the reasons club members are happy to be back at full sale strength.
“Our community is very supportive of the annual event, and it is an event,” Rogers said. “I hear from so many that are very excited to come to our sale every year. They enjoy our reasonable prices and realize it benefits the planet by repurposing items and it benefits those who actually need these things to improve their lives. Win, win. It is truly worth the grand effort of our club.”
Find out more by visiting coupevillelions.org.