This year’s annual Wagner Cancer Rummage sale was held on Wednesday, June 12th through Friday, June 14th. The Wagner Cancer Walk and Rummage organization’s President is Arlis Kafka and Vice President is Jeanene Horner. The cancer rummage has been a part of the Wagner community for the past 15 years. The organization first took over the annual Wagner rummage sale after the Right to Life group decided that they no longer wanted to take on the yearly event. What first began in the basement of the St. John’s Catholic Church in Wagner every year grew more and outgrew the previous location of the rummage. Over the years, the rummage has been held in the American Legion Post basement, the Methodist Church, Masonic building, Coast to Coast, the Shopko parking lot, Andersh storage, out of several people’s house but has made its final home in the Wagner Armory.

The organization does two fundraisers annually. They hold the cancer rummage and also sell t-shirts for their annual walk and memorial. The process for the annual event begins four months prior with the booking of the Armory and making sure to get the dates when the National Guard will be gone for their annual two-week training in order to not be in their way. The Friday before the rummage, Arlis and her team of volunteers began setting up. Monday and Tuesday, started the collecting of items that community members wish to drop off to donate. They also began organizing those days. Wednesday is used to price items and get ready for the doors to open at 5 p.m. The event goes until Friday at 4 p.m. when they close the doors for the year. Monday is the final day with everything left over being boxed, bagged and loaded up onto a semi. The semi then takes the truck load of goods to Kansas City where they receive 20 cents a pound for clothing and the rest of the goods are distributed throughout the thrift stores in the Kansas City area. Each year’s rummage starts out fresh with completely different items.

This year’s rummage had well over 30 volunteers during the over week-long event. The organization does not set a fundraising goal, they are just happy to raise any money. Last year was the cancer rummage’s biggest year yet, raising $15,000. The group feels very blessed and hopes every year to raise more in order to give back and help those in the Wagner community.

One of the amazing parts of this entire event is that every penny of what is raised from the rummage and the t-shirt sales stays local.

The American Legion Auxiliary had concessions available at the rummage all three days. The auxiliary did it as a fundraiser with all proceeds being donated back to the Wagner Cancer Walk and Rummage. The auxiliary was happy to be able to be a part of the event and raise money for such a wonderful community organization and be able to donate food and beverages for the rummage volunteers.

Anyone can get involved with the organization and help with rummage or be a part of the walk. Cancer has touched so many lives in the community and people’s families, but to be involved a person does not have to have had cancer, it is open to anyone. One volunteer, Peggy Nedved, began by volunteering in honor of family members that had cancer only to continue now as a cancer survivor herself. This year’s number of items sold at the Armory was overwhelming and the outpouring of support from the Wagner and surrounding communities did not go unnoticed.

One of the interesting parts of the cancer rummage that people may not know about is that there are actually shopping carts available to shop with while at the rummage. The organization secured several from Shopko when it went out of business in order to make it easier for people at the annual rummage. Arlis, Jeanene and the entire crew would like to thank the community for their donations whether it be time or items, the volunteers who helped make this such a successful event and those who came in and purchased items from the rummage. The group will be having an upcoming event in August. The beginning of August they will have their annual cancer memorial walk where they walk and then hold a memorial service at Wagner Lake to honor those that the community has lost to cancer in the past year. They will begin selling t-shirts for the walk in July.

Thank you again to the volunteers and Wagner community for making this such a successful event. If interested in becoming a volunteer for the cancer rummage and walk please contact Arlis or Jeanene or follow the Wagner Cancer Walk & Rummage on Facebook.