Weekend Yard Sale Raised Money For Local Boy Scouts

Rain showers Saturday did not deter local boy scouts from going through with their outdoor fundraiser and raising $400 for the troop.

Troop 177 of the Boy Scouts of America, affiliated with and a member of the Great Trail Council, hosted its second, annual yard sale May 14 in the church's parking lot at 3163 Kent Rd.

Community vendors sold a variety of items under tents to protect them from intermittent rainfall during the event.

The troop rented space to 17 area vendors. Although last year's fundraiser raised $600 for the troop, this year's yard sale raised about $400, said Mark van 't Hooft, Troop 177 committee chairperson.

"The weather didn't help us much," van 't Hooft said.

The funds raised from vendor rentals will be used to purchase awards, badges and camping supplies, and defray out-of-pocket expenses for the boy scout activities.

"It helps us knock down the price for camp-outs," he said.

With more than 40 members, the boy scout troop regularly attends one weekend camp out each month from September through May, with several scouts also attending week long summer camps at BSA's Manatoc Reservation in Peninsula, said Stow resident Vincent Marchetti who organizes the outings.

The troop also acquired a used, 29-seat bus that was refurbished for use on trips such as the troops recent visit to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, said Rachel Brownridge, a Stow resident who organized the yard sale.

Scout Jonathan Burke, 11, began in cub scouts when he was in kindergarten and looks forward to the troop's next outing, he said.

"It's too much fun to describe," Burke said.

For more information on Holy Family Parish Troop 177, click here.