College Admission Help

Women's Club in Coconut Creek raises thousands for college scholarships
BY SHANNON PEASE
Special to The Miami Herald

The Women's Club of Coconut Creek recently raised more than $2,500 in an unconventional way for those entering college -- by selling second-hand goods.
Bargain-priced clothing, glassware, furniture and jewelry were just a few of the finds that were featured recently at the Women's Club of Coconut Creek's annual garage sale at the Coconut Creek Recreation Complex.
More than 50 tables were topped with donated items from housewares and seasonal decorations to glassware and baskets.
A special boutique area featured some of the more expensive items.
''You name it, we've got it,'' said Women's Club Director Dot LaTorre days before the big sale.
A bulk of the items were donated by schools, the city and the community, LaTorre said. The women's club also displayed items they pulled from a storage space that accumulated goods throughout the year.
Organizers collected donations from the public the day before the event at the recreation complex.
Women's Club members sorted, arranged and tagged the items in preparation for the event. Things that weren't sold were donated to the Salvation Army.
The scholarship program started in 1972, but it wasn't until 2004 that the Women's Club came up with the idea of having a garage sale.
LaTorre said that at the time, members saw a need to raise more money for college students and needed to come up with a fresh idea.
This year's sale proceeds will be given to select Coconut Creek students who meet certain criteria for academic achievement, financial need and extracurricular activities. Since the inception of the scholarship program, the Women's Club has granted more than $141,000 in scholarship money to 238 students, mostly from Coconut Creek,
The group also supports local sports teams and cheerleaders.
The garage sale was staffed with about 35 volunteers from the Women's Club, which is about half the organization's members.
''They really donate a lot of their time,'' LaTorre said. ``It takes a lot of hands.''
For information about the Coconut Creek Women's Club or the scholarship program, visit www.geocities.comccwomensclub.




Women's Club in Coconut Creek raises thousands for college scholarships