The Cape Coral Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store may see an influx of new customers after the Pink Bazaar Thrift Shop closes later this month.
Cape Coral Hospital’s Auxiliary Thrift Store and the Pink Bazaar Thrift Shop in Fort Myers are sister stores, and Lee Memorial’s Auxiliary Board of Directors voted recently to close the Pink Bazaar, effective 5 p.m., July 17.
Merchandise from the Pink Bazaar will be consolidated and made available at Cape Coral’s thrift store on 609 Del Prado Blvd.
Karen Krieger, director of Public Affairs for the Lee Memorial Health System, said the decision to close the Pink Bazaar was due to staffing shortages. She said everyone who works at the store is a volunteer.
“It was a matter of having enough volunteers to staff the store full time in Fort Myers,” she said. “Because they weren’t able to staff it, the merging of the two still allows the items to be available to the community.”
While the Pink Bazaar has had some issues leading up to the decision to close, Cape Coral Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store Manager Henry Stofolski said business is good at the local store.
“Times are pretty tough everywhere, but we are kind of fortunate where we are,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with our location in front of the hospital and our prices.”
He explained that the Cape Coral store will take some of the items from Pink Bazaar.
“There were a few things they offered us that they obviously couldn’t sell, use or discard,” he said.
The auxiliary thrift store raises money to benefit Cape Coral Hospital and Lee Memorial Health System. And they provide scholarships to people interested in health occupations as well as a $250,000 donation for a health-related project or piece of medical equipment.
“Every penny we make here is all donated to the hospital,” said Stofolski.