Fundraiser for the Fire Department brings community together

Southworth’s very first community yard sale, pancake and deli feed, was a smashing success!! With over 70 individuals who drove through to donate items, and an estimated 800+ individuals walking through the yard sale and Southworth Grocery, the community raised just under $6,000.00 for the South Kitsap Fire Department 👩🏽‍🚒!

We were overwhelmed from the support, community, and overall spirit of each who joined us!

After the whole covid debacle, we have needed each other more than ever! Just to see friends and neighbors face to face was such an encouragement to not only us here at the Red Banner Team, but to our friends over at Southworth Grocery, our neighbors, and the Southworth community as a whole.

What did the Fundraiser look like?

Friday, the 26th, from 8am-7:30 pm there was a steady stream of traffic driving in an out of our office roundabout! From general household items, to a riding lawn mower, to a generator or two, to designer shoes off the rack at DSW, to a paddle board, and many other items, the yard filled up faster than we could keep up with, and tables were being filled rapidly! It was a bit drizzly that Friday, and it was work to keep the items covered! But!! Thanks to Scott Mclendons Hardware’s donation of plastic, each table was able to be covered to keep things safe from moisture!

Saturday, the 27th, was a very full day!! Signs went up around 7:30 and our first guests arrived at 7:45!! Southworth Grocery put on a spectacular pancake feed!! They offered a variety of toppings, and coffee to go with! They raised hundreds of dollars in donations!

As the morning went on, there was a very steady stream of traffic walking up our grassy office hill into the fenced yard that looks out over the Southworth ⛴ dock. We had guests from Vashon Island to Port Townsend, from Sweden to Seabeck! Guests who had heard about the event in the mail, or on Facebook and guests who read about the event that morning in the Kitsap Sun, and some who had simply seen the signs on Sedgwick and were “out yard sale-ing” for the day.

From Noon-2 pm, Southworth Grocery served up some samplers of the incredible variety of homecooked venulsianian food that they offer. They overarching feedback was that this was the best food that many had tasted in months! Our guests were thrilled to find out that such good eats were just a short walk, or drive away, and many said that this was the best deli food in Kitsap County.

With the support of our community, the teamwork of Jay and Gabriella Freeland (owners of Southworth Grocery) their family (who run the store), a whole day of help from a dear friend on Friday, and the various volunteers who stepped in on Saturday, the event was one to remember!

By the end of the day, much of what had been donated was sold, and the rest was sorted through to either be donated or disposed of by our good friends at both Empire Junk Removal and Good Riddance Junk Removal! Both of these companies are trustworthy, friendly, hard-working, integrity-run companies (who also happen to be best friends) Guys! If you have anything from your property that needs to be removed, call these guys!! They are absolutely incredible! It’s always a joy to be able to send friends and clients their contact info as we know they will be so well taken care of!

Our Real Estate Team is looking forward to serving the community through more events like this one, and are excited to have such incredible partners, like the Freeland’s to make that vision a reality!

*A big Thank you to Scott Mclendon’s for the donations in order to keep the items out of the rain.

To Molly Lanier for staying all day in that rain to help distribute items as they were donated.

To our new friend Charlotte, for volunteering during the event.

To our good friend, Russell Smith, for showing up when we needed him

To Empire Junk Removal and Good Riddance Junk Removal for showing up to donate time and energy for the clean-up.

To every single person who donated time, items, money and energy to be there making this a great kick off to the events we plan to hold in the future!