Saturday Cal West Parking Lot Sale to benefit Rotary Christmas Baskets

November 04, 2011
Santa Paula News

This year the Cal West Real Estate Parking Lot Sale is going a step farther.

Not only is the November 5 sale going to benefit the Santa Paula Rotary Christmas Basket Program, but Cal West staffers are going to do all the footwork.

Not only will they oversee the sale with help of other volunteers, but “We’re actually going to go out and spend the money we raise Saturday and buy the toys” that in turn will be donated to the Rotary Club, said Cal West Broker Jim Garfield.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for Rotary,” said Club Past President Maria Bombara. 

Each family is pre-screened to determine eligibility: “We’re doing 500 baskets again this year,” each containing all the fixings for holiday dinner (and plenty of leftovers) as well as a toy specially selected for each child in the household.

This is the 15th year that the Cal West parking lot at the corner of East Main and 8th streets has been turned into a rummage sale with all proceeds benefiting a local nonprofit. And it’s a popular stop for those who like bargain hunting: “It starts Saturday at 8 a.m., but as soon as we start putting stuff out people show up... and we’re going to start putting stuff out at 7 a.m.” for the sale, which ends at 1 p.m.

Individuals donate items to the event, and this year Garfield said they were particularly generous. “We’ve got a lot of stuff and lot of furniture also... and that includes a couple of very good antique pieces. One is a very fine, old rocking chair that Linda Fike donated when she moved back East.” 

Donations have been consistent: “This year it’s been furniture all year long,” as when people move, Garfield said, they often have pieces leftover. “Tom Foster, with All American Maintenance, asks for it and he puts it in storage for the sale... that’s why we had two sales this year” instead of the usual single event.

“As long as people keep donating we’ll keep selling and donating money to nonprofits,” which Garfield joked he might join the ranks of with “The Garfield Foundation... but people said no!”

Bombara is confident many people will say yes to Saturday’s sale: “I even donated things.... As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and Rotary hopes that everyone cleans out their garages, their closets and cupboards to donate to this cause and help 500 needy area families have a Merry Christmas!” Overall, Bombara said, the Rotary Club appreciates that “this time Cal West Real Estate chose us” as the beneficiary of the Parking Lot Sale, and “we’re very, very grateful.”





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