Donations have been flowing into the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.
The organization has received thousands of items, as its gears up for the annual Woman’s Club Flea Market scheduled for March 4 and March 5 at the Historic Old Lutz School, 18819 N. U.S. 41 in Lutz.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
The flea market is set to be the club’s largest fundraiser this year, because its annual arts and crafts festival, typically held in December had to be cancelled due the development of a sinkhole at Lake Park.
“The community has really been rallying around. I think we have more donations this year,” said Cathy Mathes, president of the woman’s club.
“This year, we’re in particular need,” she said. “We just want to exceed last year’s (flea market) number.”
People have donated a wide range of goods from household and children’s items to antiques and collectibles, to sports equipment and gardening tools.
“If you walk around, you’ll see we have one of everything,” Mathes said.
Higher-end items such as silver and crystal can be found at “huge bargains,” Mathes noted.
The flea market, which has been around for more than 35 years, typically attracts thousands of shoppers during its two-day run.
When patrons want to take a little break from shopping, they can grab a bite to eat at the food booth — which will be offering breakfast items, baked goods, hot dogs, coffee and other beverages.
To help keep the event running smoothly, the club enlists the help of over 80 volunteers — including the member’s husbands and children.
Besides raising money, the event provides a chance for club members to spend time with each other and with people from the community, the club president said.
“It’s so much fun with the camaraderie,” Mathes said. “I really enjoy working with the people. …You get to know people better than just seeing them at a (woman’s club) meeting.”
At the end of the event, leftover items will be donated to local organizations, including Goodwill and Salvation Army, local nursing homes, veterans’ charities and local libraries.
Figuring out how much the club can give in scholarships and to the various organizations it helps will be tougher this year.
The cancellation of the arts and crafts festival has forced the club to scramble to secure funds for local organizations and college scholarships.
“We plan to sit down and look at how much we make, and decide what we’re going to do with it, because it’s still not what we had last year,” Mathes explained. “We had (raised) $30,000, plus we had the flea market (donations) last year. …We have to be very careful about budgeting it out.”
Anyone who wishes to donate items for the flea market still has time. Donations will be accepted until March 3. All donations should be in clean and in working order. Large appliances and sleeper sofas cannot be accepted.
What: Woman’s Club Flea Market
Where: Old Lutz School, 18819 N. U.S. 41 in Lutz
When: March 4 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and March 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, call (813) 949-1937 or (813) 948-4752.
Published March 2, 2016
