It was cold outside, but nice and warm inside La Hacienda Recreation Center on Saturday morning as the Villages Cheerleaders held their annual fundraiser, the Treasures ’N Treats indoor garage sale. Despite a sudden scheduling change that moved the sale to a date earlier than expected, it seemed to be another cheerful success for this lively group.
“Mostly, we’re a service organization,” said Kay Glessner, treasurer for the cheerleaders. “When you see the cheerleaders at races, for example, it’s because we’ve donated to that race.”
Over the past 12 years, the cheerleaders have raised more than $105,000 for charity. Treasures & Treats is a big part of that number. Past recipients of their donations include local hospice centers, the Relay for Life, and the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Most recently, the cheerleaders raised $5,000 for Villages Honor Flight. Items not sold at this year’s Treats ‘N Treasures sale were donated to The Garden Church, which funnels the donations to the SoZo kids in the Ocala National Forest.