By Stephanie DeGraw | [email protected]

The 26-year tradition of the Hilltop Children's and Maternity Consignment Sale by the United Methodist Church (UMC) has received the Best of Sandy Award in the category of Consignment Shop.

But the Spring event is postponed until Sept. 11 and 12 due to the coronavirus pan-demic. Sellers who have already entered inventory for the spring sale will be allowed to move their items to the next sale, without having to re-enter those items, according to Sue Williams, co-chairman. Updates will be posted on the website as details become available.

"This is such an honor for our church. The sale is a community outreach that brings in people from across the valley while helping sellers and shoppers," Sue Williams, co-chair, said. "But, most of all, the funds made help many charities and those in need, both near and far." 

The Hilltop United Methodist Women coordinates 200 volunteers. Boy Scout Troops assist with the setup for the event. Volunteers usually serve a three-hour shift, according to Connee Schoon, UMC past sales chair.

Most of the proceeds are donated to local charities including Crossroads Urban Center, Family Promise, South Valley Women's and Children's Center, Salt Lake Rescue Mission and the Pregnancy Resource Center in Salt Lake City.

The sale serves families in the local community by providing excellent products at reasonable prices. "This isn't somewhere to come to find designer and high-end items, but a place to find discount and second-hand items in good condition at a lower price," Schoon said. "Bikes are usually a hot item that typically sell quickly."

Other items available during the sale include cribs and furniture, sporting goods, strollers, books, DVDs, CDs, games, puzzles, decorations, older child and younger child toys, infant needs, maternity wear and younger and older children's clothing. "The clothing will be bar-coded and organized on hangers by size and gender and have been inspected for quality," Schoon said.

This event is known to have one of the best-organized systems, according to the buyers and the sellers. "We hear from everyone how well it's organized. Anyone from the Salt Lake Valley can be involved. They need not be affiliated with UMC," Kayla Waghorn, co-chair said. "It's great to see it's got the full community's support."

Volunteers and sellers can sign up online at hilltopsale.org/2020. UMC allows volunteers to select items to purchase on the Thursday evening before the sale. "Our volunteers want to come to support the sale. Many want to volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts, knowing that donations are going to good causes in the Salt Lake Valley," Schoon said.

The yearly award is given to local businesses in various categories by the national Sandy Award Program. To be selected for this national award, a business must show exceptional service to customers and the community. "We focus on companies that have shown their ability to use various marketing methods to grow their business despite difficult economic times. The companies chosen exemplify the best of small business, often leading through customer service and community involvement," according to the award program's website.

The Sandy Award Program gives recognition to those companies that have shown the ability to implement programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. The mission of the award is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.