Budget Sale on 60th anniversary of Solon PTA Council supporting senior scholarships

SOLON, Ohio — The Solon PTA Council’s annual Budget Box kickback sale will be held Oct. 17-20 in the Parkside Elementary School gymnasium at 6845 SOM Center Road.

The Budget Bin sale marks the 60th anniversary of its inception in supporting senior scholarships by offering a wide range of deals to area shoppers, school Principal Fred Bolden told the Solon Board of Education on Monday (Sept. 23).

Bolden said the PTA provides the funding for the numerous scholarships it awards to students graduating from Solon High School each year.

The sale includes a wide variety of new and gently used seasonal clothing, shoes, toys, housewares, baby essentials, holiday items, books, videos, sports equipment and more.

All proceeds will be donated to the Lois Gazeley Scholarship Fund, which is designated for graduating seniors from Solon High School.

“The Budget Bin is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year,” Bolden said. “It’s kind of like a giant thrift store.

“People can donate items or send items in. Those items are set up in the Parkside gym and then people can come in and buy things.”

New this year, the Budget Box will be sold on a Preview Sale Day on October 14th between 16:00 and 19:00.

By paying $15 per bag, shoppers may have a chance to find great deals before the main sale begins, Bolden said.

“There’s always more stuff than we know what to do with, so we try to find ways to sell more,” he said.

“By adding an additional bag day at the beginning it can help drive more traffic and the options are much more extensive.”

Bolden said the Solon PTA Council receives 50 percent of the proceeds from consigned items and 100 percent of the proceeds from donated items.

“Our Budget Box sale has been a staple in the Solon community for decades,” Solon PTA Council President Christa Bomeli said in a press release.

“Not only does this provide a great thrift shopping opportunity for families, it also supports our mission of giving back to the community by raising scholarship funds for our local high school students.”

The number of scholarships the PTA gives out is determined by the revenue it generates from sales, Bolden said.

“Last year, the PTA was able to award 14 scholarships valued at $1,250 each,” he said.

“This is a direct result of how successful they were with this fundraiser.”

Board President Julie Glavin said the Budget Box sale is a community effort.

“A lot of people come to Budget Bin because it’s a way to shop affordably and it really provides a service for our community and a lot of the local communities nearby,” he said.

“People count on it every year, so it’s not just a fundraiser for kids to get scholarships. It’s actually a service that the PTA provides.”

Executive Vice Chairman John Heckman added: “It’s a win-win situation and there’s brand new products out there. It’s incredible.”

“We love how the Budget Box sale brings the community together,” Bomeli said in the press release.

“This is a great way to help families find quality products at affordable prices, while also promoting sustainability by reusing products.”

The donation days for sales are October 12th from 10:00 to 14:00 and October 13th from 12:00 to 16:00.

The delivery days of the shipments were determined as 15:00 – 19:00 on October 15 and 15:00 – 20:00 on October 16.

The schedule for the community sale is from 15:00 to 20:00 on October 17, and from 10:00 to 16:00 on October 18 and 19.

The sale ends with Last Chance Bag Day on October 20 from noon to 2 p.m. The cost per bag is $10.

Since 1964, the Solon PTA has donated proceeds from the sale of the Budget Box to the Lois Gazeley Scholarship Fund for graduating seniors from Solon High School.

The fund is named in honor of Gazeley, PTA president who served in the 1940s and pioneered and chaired many of the Solon PTA’s important programs, including serving as the first co-chair of Solon’s after-prom event.

Over the years, the sale has grown into one of the region’s largest gated community consignment sales, requiring hundreds of hours of volunteer work to coordinate.

Unsold items from the sale are donated to local charities, allowing the event to reach a wider audience by providing clothing and household items to those in need.

For more information on donating or making a donation, email [email protected].

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