Beltrami Electric garage sale raises $7,250 for United Way

Beltrami Electric Cooperative’s indoor garage sale turned a day of bargain hunting into $7,250 for the United Way of the Bemidji Area, giving the local charity another infusion tied directly to community traffic in Bemidji. More than 1,600 shoppers moved through the sale, which packed more than 90 vendor booths with collectibles, household items, handmade goods and other merchandise.

The sale has become one of the cooperative’s most visible community events because it does more than raise money. It brings vendors into Beltrami Electric’s garage area, draws steady foot traffic from across Beltrami County and sends proceeds from admission fees, booth rentals and food concessions back into United Way’s local work. Angela Lyseng, Beltrami Electric communications specialist, said the event’s success demonstrates the generosity of the community and will help make a positive impact through the United Way.

Beltrami Electric says the garage sale is held the first Saturday in May and is part of Cooperative Principle #7, Concern for Community. The cooperative also describes it as a pacesetter for the United Way of Bemidji Area’s annual campaign, which makes the fundraiser more than a one-day marketplace. It links a utility-owned facility, volunteer energy and local giving into a recurring source of support for health, youth and family services.

The event’s staying power is clear in the numbers. Beltrami Electric said the 2025 sale drew more than 1,680 attendees and raised $6,700, bringing the total raised since the sale began in 2007 to $87,409 after that year’s event. For 2026, the cooperative set the sale for Saturday, May 2, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 4111 Technology Drive NW in Bemidji, with more than 95 vendor booths, food concessions and the Wandering Bean Coffee Truck.

The $7,250 raised this year shows why the sale keeps its place on the local calendar. In a county where households can feel the strain of tight budgets, a low-cost, high-traffic event like this channels small transactions into a measurable community response, and the United Way is the direct beneficiary.