Submitted by Panorama
The beloved Benevolent Fund Patio Sale is a spectacle Panorama residents and members of the Thurston County area have delighted in over the last five decades. Each year in July, several hundred volunteers would come together to plan, prep and execute an event that excited the entire local community. Approximately an acre of space was needed for the available merchandise and hours could be spent looking through all that was available. Karen Romanelli, resident volunteer, described her experience by sharing: “serving on the leadership team for the Sale was one of the most gratifying experiences I have had at Panorama. I couldn’t wait to get out there on day one of set up and work all day, every day that week, with the most energetic and enthusiastic team of volunteers. It truly was a beehive of activity for days culminating in the excitement of the opening bell on Friday morning. I think the adrenaline kept us going for two days of shoppers. What a rush!”
While many have participated in the overall shopping extravaganza, most are unaware of the longstanding history of the Sale. The first-ever Patio Sale was in 1970 on what was then known as Panorama’s shuffleboard court. All items were resident donated and included a variety of goods. During this time, Panorama’s Resident Council was working on creating a charitable organization that became known as the Benevolent Fund, established on August 16, 1972. The purpose of this organization was and still is to, “provide financial assistance to Panorama residents in need and fund services and quality of life projects through the various phases of aging.” The Patio Sale quickly became a large part of what allowed the Fund to flourish.
Unfortunately, in 2020 and 2021, restrictions due to COVID affected the tradition of the Sale and it was shut down. Like many other businesses, the pandemic hit the Panorama community hard. Doors were closed, the streets were empty and new practices were put in place to keep residents and staff safe and healthy. Although all of the shifts became discouraging at times, Panorama residents did what they do best. They came together and got creative, persevering with innovational thinking and it was determined that certain operations could continue, just in a different way. Thus, Fund volunteers began to re-evaluate and brainstorm new avenues for selling. This process led to the discovery of Facebook Marketplace, which proved to be just as lucrative as the Sale and required a fraction of the labor.
When 2022 rolled around, a decision about the Sale’s future needed to be made. After much conversation and deliberation, it was determined that it would be discontinued completely. While disheartening, the main driver was the amount of time and effort that went into it. The annual Sale was a tremendous amount of work that included 400 resident volunteers and up to 100 off-campus individuals. Over time, it became increasingly more difficult to enlist ample volunteers. Plus, items were selling great online and so pros and cons needed to be considered. Not nearly as much work was involved in alternative selling operations and thus people saw the value in ending the Patio Sale.
Despite the Sale being greatly missed, there hasn’t been much pushback in regards to the change. This is partially because the Fund offers shopping alternatives such as the two on-campus retail stores and online purchase options, all open to the public. A simple search for “Shops at Panorama” on Facebook Marketplace will pull up a variety of items for sale. Without the discontinuation, implementation of different selling opportunities that offer greater accessibility for buyers would have gone unnoticed. All of the effort and energy that was poured into the Patio Sale can now be shifted to other endeavors. According to Fund President Jerry Gjovaag, the most desired and missed perk has been the socialization it encouraged amongst the community as a whole.
The Patio Sale enriched many people’s lives and offered them a chance to create relationships while finding unique items to purchase. Luckily, change has brought and will continue to bring new and exciting engagement opportunities for Panorama residents and other Thurston County community members alike.
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