Gemm Shop provides festive community support

Winterfest returns to Trumansburg, celebrating its 25th anniversary Dec. 4. In addition to its collection of free events being offered throughout the day, the iconic Main Street Gemm Shop is selling raffle tickets to support four Trumansburg organizations. All ticket proceeds will be split among the Conservatory of Fine Arts, the after-school program, the music boosters and the sports boosters.

The Gemm Shop was founded in 1970 by a group of parents to raise money to buy band uniforms for students in the Trumansburg Central School District.

Having so much success in this endeavor prompted them to continue taking donations of consigned clothing and household items to expand sales. Eventually, they moved to their permanent location at 17 W. Main St. in the heart of the village they are dedicated to supporting.

Today, the proceeds from sales, after expenses and consignors are paid, are given back to local school and community organizations. In addition, two scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors at Trumansburg and South Seneca schools every June.

Proceeds have also supported short-term projects such as building two Habitat for Humanity homes in the village as well as emergency assistance for two local families after tragedies and difficult circumstances.

The fully volunteer-staffed shop, governed by a six-member Board, accepts donations and consignments of housewares, clothing, jewelry and miscellaneous household items. Every Saturday, volunteers comb through the store and move items that have been there for two months to a half-price rack located in the back of the store. Any items remaining on the discount rack after a week are removed and donated to organizations in the region in an effort to continue providing community assistance.

Previously, items have been donated to Angel Closet, the ReUse Center of Ithaca, Salvation Army, Thrifty Shopper and Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services.

“In March 2020, we should have been celebrating our 50th year here serving the community, but with COVID-19, we found ourselves closed for a few months around that time,” said Gemm Shop Treasurer Gail Zabawsky. “We decided for last year’s Winterfest to buy $50 gift cards from local merchants and raffle them off. It was a way to support businesses during a difficult time while continuing to give back to the community. Trumansburg being the kind of community it is, merchants just wanted to donate the gift cards, but we wanted to buy them so we could show support and help everyone.”

This year, the Gemm Shop Winterfest raffle tickets will be $2 each and will be sold at the Gemm Shop as well as the Trumansburg Shur-Save grocery store. Raffle tickets can be purchased by cash or check up until 5 p.m. Dec. 4, at which time the Gemm Shop will select winners of the 24 cards being offered this year. Winners will be contacted via provided information and need not be present to win.

This year’s gift cards are for the American Legion, Atlas Bowl, BTV Wine Bar, Byrne Dairy, Creekside Cafe, Emoticakes, Falls Restaurant, Finger Lakes Cider House, Garrett’s Brewing Company, the Gemm Shop, Gimme! Coffee, Glenwood Pines, Hazelnut Cafe, Little Venice Restaurant, The Main Street Market, New York Pizzeria, Ron Don’s Restaurant, Shur-Save Grocery, Subway, Trimmers, Trumansburg Liquor, Wide Awake Bakery, Wok This Way and Trumansburg Wine and Spirits.

Karen Powers, current head of the Gemm Shop Board of Directors, decided that this year’s gift card selection should reflect the “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” theme they have chosen as this year’s raffle.

“We thought it would be a festive and fun theme for this year,” Powers said. “After the challenges the community faced over the last year and a half and us being closed during what would have been our 50th year celebration, we decided it would be fitting and fun to feature merchants that offer all those things.”

In addition to the raffle, Winterfest will host a collection of free events. The Handmade Market will be available from noon to 5 p.m. Free activities and food including magic by Mike and Michelle, soup, hot dogs, hot cocoa and cider will run from 2 to 5:00 p.m.

A performance by Hilby, The Skinny German Juggling Boy, will be at 2 p.m. in front of Tompkins County Trust Company. There will be the Spirit of Tompkins Trumansburg village group photo at 3 p.m. in front of Tompkins County Trust Company, and the lighting of the tree with the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus by fire truck is at 4 p.m.

Trumansburg Connection appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

IN BRIEF:

Drive-thru breakfast

Trumansburg Fire Company will be hosting a drive-thru bagel sandwich breakfast to benefit the rescue tools fund Dec. 4 at the Trumansburg Firehouse located at 74 W. Main St.

Starting at 7 a.m. until they are sold out, sandwiches will be fried egg, sausage patty and cheese on a bagel for $5. All proceeds will go toward the $125,000 goal to replace outdated hydraulic rescue tools.