CCISD hosts annual United Way Park & Sell
By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press
Each year, the schools of Copperas Cove Independent School District (CCISD) team up to raise thousands of dollars for United Way of the Greater Tri-County Area, and this year is expected to be no different.
Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., CCISD hosted their second annual Park & Sell event in the parking lot of their downtown administration building. They asked for $20 per spot for regular vendors and $50 per spot for food vendors which was donated to United Way. Some vendors chose to donate extra to United Way. They sold 30 vendor spaces and raised a total of $771 at the event.
“It’s a way that we’re trying to help raise money for all the different agencies in United Way that do so much good in the community…,” said Kurtis Quillin, member of the board of directors for the United Way Greater Tri County Area. “Last year, in total, we raised about $45,000. That’s all of our campuses…We’d love to get back over $50,000 as a district this year.”
Quillin said that United Way is run by volunteers and has a very low operating cost which allows them to donate almost all of the money raised directly to local non-profit agencies who use the money to benefit their communities. He said that he and his wife have running water and a roof over their heads while other people are not so lucky. He said that it’s important to remember how blessed they are and to do what they can to support the community that supports them in kind.
There was a wide range of vendors from various food items to clothing and educational supplies to homemade crafts, some with a holiday theme. There was a little bit of something for everyone. Many of the vendors were attending the Park & Sell event for the second year.
This year was Anna Vazquez’s second time participating in the Park & Sell event with her booth, Garland of Grace Gift & Design. She and her husband sold homemade home décor items such as bird houses and signs.
“It’s for a good cause—United Way,” said Vazquez. She said that it was important for her to support both United Way and the school district. She encouraged other vendors to attend the event as well. “It’s important for older generations to help younger generations. We learn from each other.”
Several district employees who wanted to support United Way donated gently used, non-clothing, items to be sold at the event with all of the proceeds going directly to United Way. Additionally, some students attended the event as vendors.
Multiple high school culinary arts students attended the event to raise money for their groups as well as supporting United Way. They had three groups with culinary arts students selling baked goods, members of Bulldawg Brew selling homemade sodas and other beverages, and the BBQ Club which sold grilled cheese and brisket sandwiches.
“It is the best feeling when I can take my students to an event and I can just walk away…They’ve had it under control,” said Shelby Martin, a culinary arts instructor for CCHS, about her students.
She said that events like the Park & Sell give her students a chance to interact with the community in a broader scale and shows them how business works in the real world. She added that she likes that they are simultaneously supporting United Way.
“I love that the schools in our district, every October, do such a big push to help United Way,” said Martin. She said that with their support every year, people have come to recognize the name United Way which in turn raises community support allowing United Way to do even more to benefit our communities.