Optimist Club Thrift store gives away bicycles

By BRITTANY FHOLER 

Cove Leader-Press 

The Optimist Club Thrift Store in the Cove Terrace Shopping Center gave away two bicycles Friday afternoon before closing the store doors until January. 

Copperas Cove Optimist Club president Sandor Vegh said the bike giveaway was a way to bring shoppers in and give back to those who shop at the Thrift Store. The two bikes, which were purchased by the Optimist Club, were for a boy and for a girl. 

For every customer who bought something in the thrift store, they received a raffle ticket to fill out, and they could purchase extra tickets for 50  cents apiece. 

“A lot of people, especially older folks, said they don’t want it and they’d donate it, so they put down their phone number and said it’s a donation, either to the Boys and Girls Club or to Blue Santa,” Vegh said. 

If one of these tickets were drawn, the bike would be donated. 

The winner of the girl’s bike was Esther Lopez, who received a phone call letting her know she had won. The winner of the boy’s bike was a person who wanted the bike to be donated to Cove Blue Santa, which distributes toys to children in need during December. 

Store volunteer Susan Ayres explained that the thrift store has seen the pandemic’s effects on people and has experienced a decrease in the number of shoppers due to the pandemic. 

 “The amount of people was a little bit lower, understandably, but our prices are very, very low right now because of the economy, and we’re giving away a little bit more to help the people that need it,” Ayres said. 

With each purchase at the thrift store, the money goes to help the community, including through scholarships. Ayres said that this year, they will be able to award four scholarships- one for $1,000 and three for $750. Everything raised at the Thrift Store stays in the Copperas Cove community except for the funds donated to cancer research and Texas Children’s Hospital. 

The Optimist Club Thrift Store closed for the holiday season on Saturday and will reopen on January 8, 2021.