RMCC holiday sale offers bargains, spirit of giving

    FREDERICK – It wasn’t exactly Black Friday.
    No surly crowds gathered outside a big-box store, pressing for a shot at a cheap TV or Wii console, waiting for the doors to open, foregoing breakfast for a bargain.  Nonetheless, tri-town shoppers found a sale to crow about in their own backyard at Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Frederick.

Gene Sears

Pastor Joe Truitt, left, wife Marla and Kari Teagarden take a break from the bustling crowds at their dollar sale Dec. 7. Stocked through a large donation of books and sundries, the sale opened the door for those who might not have a lot of money the opportunity to do some quality Christmas shopping. Proceeds from the sale went to Band Of Brothers, a Christian organization that helps community members in need.

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    Based upon a donation of books, home décor items and sundries from Imagination Books, the Dec. 7 sale attracted dozens of bargain hunters looking for a good deal.
    By 1 p.m., lucky buyers had picked up some 700 items, all at the bargain-basement price of $1 each, with another round scheduled for the evening. The sale was an opportunity for the church to raise funds for a worthy cause, help a few needy buyers along the way and “bless the community,” said Kari Teagarden, a member of the church and the woman responsible for securing the donations through her mother, who works for Imagination.
    “What we decided to do, instead of simply just giving it away, was to do a sale, a dollar a piece, make it cheap, make it inexpensive for people to come,” said Joe Truitt,  pastor at the church. “The proceeds are going to a group we have here at Rocky Mountain called Band of Brothers, which turns around and does projects for communities, whether it’s home refurbishing, yard work, painting, different things like that.”
    “Band of brothers does that free of charge, for people who are in need, so we wanted to help that,” added Marla Truitt, Joe’s wife.
    “We thought, ‘Here is a way to help the community now, with the sale, and help the community in the future, though Band of Brothers,” Joe Truitt said.
    Assembled in the lobby on tables surrounded by decorated Christmas trees and holiday finery, the sale was a huge success.
    “It was packed in here,” Teagarden said. “It’s been very exciting.”
    Next on the holiday giving agenda for the church is the Dacono Firewood Project, planned for Dec. 18. That event is for people who use firewood in their home for heating,
    “I’ve already had people calling,” Joe Truitt said. “A gentleman called and said, ‘Hey, we use firewood to heat our home, but we are Messianic Christians and go to our church on Saturdays. We really would love to take part.’ I asked for his name and told him we would put some wood aside for him, take care of him. These people need the help, gas is so expensive. If they can get wood to heat their home, we are all for it.”
    “Santa will be there, and distributing presents to the children, which we have already pre-wrapped,” Teagarden said. “Two books for each child that comes.”
    Also from the Imagination, the children’s volumes were a part of the original donation.
    “We just took out all the children’s books out and wrapped them, so Santa could give gifts to all the kids,” Marla Truitt said. “Starbucks will be there, donating the hot beverages. We’ll have cookies to give out, all to bless the community. Everything free.”