First City Lions host yard and bake sale for local charities

A yard and bake sale in Eckles Township will send shoppers home with tools, toys and perennial plants while sending every dollar to local charities. The First City Lions are set to host the sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the Eckles Community Center, 9735 Cardinal Rd. NW, in Bemidji.

The table mix is broad: outdoor items, holiday decor, perennial plants, tools, toys, books and bedding are all part of the sale. That makes the event part rummage sale, part seasonal cleanup and part fundraiser, with the bake-sale side adding a second reason for people to stop and linger. The event is being billed as an annual sale, with organizers promising, “There’s something for everyone at our annual sale!”

The point of the day is charity. All proceeds will support local charities, keeping the money in the Bemidji area and tying the sale directly to the service work the First City Lions say they do year-round. The club is part of Lions Clubs International, a volunteer network built around community service and humanitarian needs, and the Bemidji club says it raises funds and volunteers time to support local organizations and efforts.

That local reach has shown up in other hands-on projects. In March 2026, the First City Lions donated 25 Grief Bags to Bemidji Area Schools, where elementary school social workers can give them to children coping with significant loss. The donation underscored the club’s role not just as a fundraiser, but as a group that moves quickly on practical needs in the Bemidji school community.

The venue itself fits that civic mission. Eckles Community Center describes itself as a volunteer-run nonprofit, and the building at 9735 Cardinal Rd. NW regularly serves as a gathering place for local events in Eckles Township. For the First City Lions, that makes the sale more than a one-day transaction. It is a chance to raise money, bring neighbors together and keep a steady flow of support moving toward local charities that depend on small community efforts to do big work.