A long, colorful history as the American Cancer Society’scelebrating 50 years in Fresno.
“We started in 1965, in a little shop in San Fernando Valley and we have 40 shops throughout California and we”ve raised over 308 million dollars in those 50 years.” -Manager Bonnie O’Neal.
It all began with a Hollywood socialite.
“It was started by a volunteer, her name was Denise Noel, she was a socialite in Hollywood, and she would have these parties, would do silent auctions that became a normal for her every week and then she thought well, I’m going to do this for the American Cancer Society so that how we became, and she was very glamorous and that why our stores look the way they do today. We’re a resale shop.” – Discovery Shop Manager Bonnie O’Neal.
The store grew to 40 through California, raising over 308 million dollars for cancer research, education and patient services.
Merilee Korsinen says her mother Helen Walcott has been volunteering for decades and she”s now 91. You will most likely see her as you browse the aisles.
Looking to the future O’ Neal says they need volunteers with social media skills.
Especially as we’re growing, we need more volunteers to help with more technical aspects of the shop with social media that’s really going to be a big push for us and that’s going to get us out, you know, in the public’s eye because so many people don’t know about the Discovery Shop and what we do and why we’re here. -Manager Bonnie O’Neal.
The Discovery Shop at Bullard and West is open seven days a week, and you can drop-off items without an appointment.
63 percent of the money raised goes back to cancer research, education, and patient services.
