ECHO Trunk Show Continues Today With Markdowns

Looking for some great bargains on designer clothes, shoes and purses?

You'll find plenty at the Spring Trunk Show and Sale to benefit the Emergency Care Help Organization in Brandon.

The carryover day of shopping will take place Friday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at The Loft Event Lounge in Brandon, at 711 West Lumsden Road.

Shoppers can hunt for treasures among racks of clothes, shoes, purses and jewelry.

Today's shopping for a cause follows a night of deal-finding at The Loft in Brandon, which shares space with O'Brien's Irish Pub and Family Restaurant in the shopping center at the corner of Lumsden Road and Kings Avenue.

There, Karen Burgess talked about the trunk shows she organizes on behalf of ECHO, the food bank, clothes closet and client services center on Parsons Avenue. ECHO is open to people in need facing emergency situations.

"It's exciting to have people come in and buy [designer] things they couldn't otherwise afford," she said. "They way we price them, anybody can get a Vera Bradley bag, for instance, at a fairly reasonable price."

Even better, the trunk shows garner a good chunk of change for ECHO, close to $5,000 each time the event has been held. Today's event is the third ECHO Trunk Show since the concept was launched.

"I knew it would be successful," Burgess said. "I pulled everything out, I priced it, and I knew people would come out and be amazed at all the good stuff they could get."

The merchandise is acccumlulated through regular donations and word-of-mouth inquiried among ECHO board members and supporters. Cleaning out your closet? Check with ECHO if you've got items that would be ideally suited for the trunk show.

"We're raising money to feed the hungry people in our area, so what could be better than that?" Burgess said. "That's what it's all about, because nobody should go to bed hungry."

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The Loft Event Lounge is owned by Arlene and Ben Frisk, who own as well The Loft Hair Salon which is adjacent, and connected, to the event center, at 711 West Lumsden Road. Call: 813-685-7677.

The Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) is at 503 North Parsons Ave. in Brandon. Call: 813-685-0935.