Weatherspark.com states that the average temperature for January 2025 in Wisconsin was around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. These Wisconsin winters do not leave much room for plant life to grow or for residents to start their gardens, so what are greenhouses to do in the off-season?
Raintree Garden Center used their greenhouse space this past month to host a thrift sale to fundraise for the Chippewa Humane Association. The entire greenhouse was converted this past weekend, with pallets usually displaying flowers now showcasing clothing and kitchen supplies.
According to their event page, this is Raintree Garden Center’s fourth annual fundraiser for the Chippewa Humane Association. They heated up their greenhouse for a full weekend thrift sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
Melissa Wiltrot, an organizer for the event, said Raintree is not open in the winter, so this event is a great way to get into the greenhouse and warm up the space for visitors before getting the plants in.
“So what are we going to do with this space that’s going to remind the people that we exist?” Wiltrot said. “It’s just a fun thing that reminds people we are here and does a lot of good in the community.”
To collect the items sold in the thrift sale, Raintree listed specific dates throughout the month of February for donation drop-offs. People were able to drop off donations to the center and whatever was not sold would later be donated to other thrift stores.
According to Wiltrot, Raintree also received some of their thrifted items from The Attic, a vintage market and consignment store in Eau Claire.
Wiltrot’s business partner currently fosters animals, so she said working with the Chippewa Humane Association was a no brainer.
At the event, customers were able to bring their pets into the greenhouse to walk around. Wiltrot’s own dog was roaming around the space for both days of the sale.
According to Wiltrot, the thrift sale earned around $1,500 last year. As of Saturday, Raintree had earned $2,200 for this year and were hoping to double their last year’s earnings. She said that the sale was twice as big so she thought it was possible to meet this goal.
Darren Scott, a customer who attended the thrift sale, said he was surprised by the inventory at the thrift sale and what people were willing to donate.
“I heard about this event from a friend and decided to stop in. It was cool to see all the options and nice knowing my money was going to a good place,” Scott said.
Raintree Garden Center was also open to volunteers to help collect, tag, set-up and tear down the event. Those interested could volunteer for a few days before and during the event. Anyone interested for next year can reach out to Raintree to volunteer.
To follow along with more events and activities Raintree Garden Center is hosting, including next year’s thrift sale, check out their website. According to Wiltrot, Raintree will start getting plants in the greenhouse next week. To check in with the Chippewa Humane Association and see where all of the money raised is going, check out their website.
Fisher can be reached at fisherc1407@uwec.edu.
