It began with a group of military wives gathering weekly to enjoy coffee and conversation while their children would attend play groups. These women saw this as an opportunity to give back to the community and organized the first sale which took place in a small room in the basement of the (KMFRC) in the Spring of 2003. The sale exceeded expectations and generated much interest with many more families wanting to participate. The sale quickly gained popularity and outgrew its space to the point of needing to be relocated to its current home at the Thompson Drill Hall which can currently accommodate 100 vendors. Initially, transactions were small and recorded manually with “paper and pen” and used cash as the only method of payment. As the volume of items being sold escalated, the technology evolved including a change to electronic records with digital technology and social media to offer the best shopping experience. The sale is attended by large numbers of shoppers from the Kingston and surrounding areas.
This semi-annual community event provides an opportunity for vendors from the community to sell their gently used children’s clothing, toys, electronics, housewares, recreational equipment and more. The CTS is run by a committee of volunteers, some of which have been around since the early days. The event takes place over a 2-day period and its success relies heavily on the assistance of volunteers. The CTS supports military families with young children through an annual donation to the Kingston Military Family Resource Centre (KMFRC).
This year’s Fall sale to be held at the Thompson Drill Hall on Sat. Sept. 24th from 0800 hrs – 1300 hrs will mark the 36th sale for the CTS as it enters into its 20th Anniversary year! Follow us on Facebook or contact us at thechildrensthriftsale@gmail.com
