Pasadena Store Raises Money For Children With Cancer

By Allison Eatough

When Rick Levin opened his eBay drop-off store in 2009, he had more than just business in mind. Levin wanted to give back to his community – specifically children with cancer. Through Whaddya Got to Sell?, he has done just that.

The Pasadena store supports the Cool Kids Campaign, a Maryland-based organization that provides children fighting cancer and their parents a higher quality of life. When a person provides an item to the store to be sold on eBay’s online marketplace, he or she can give the item in full. That means when the item sells, a donation is made in the person’s name to the campaign.

The store makes donations each quarter, said Mary Bryant, manager.

“Everything I do here I do to benefit Cool Kids,” she said. “We’re here for really no other reason.”

The store’s latest fundraising effort is a raffle for a 1994 Corvette. Purchased by Whaddya Got to Sell?, the six-speed manual Corvette has a maroon exterior, silver leather interior, Targa glass top, AM/FM stereo and CD player. It has 54,000 miles and is in excellent condition, Bryant said.

“It’s beautiful, and it’ll be ready to tag and put on the road,” she said.

Second prize in the raffle is $1,000, while third is $500. All of the proceeds, except for expenses and second and third place prizes, will go toward the campaign. Tickets cost $10 each.

“Our goal is to sell as many tickets as we can,” said Levin, who is also on the Cool Kids Campaign Board of Directors. “The important part is the (Cool Kids Campaign) is strictly to help the kids and their parents going through the cancer process.”

Care packages, visits with professional athletes and a children’s newspaper are just a few of the ways the campaign works to make their children happy. But none of the programs would be possible without the support of the board members and community, said Sharon Perfetti, co-founder and executive director of Cool Kids Campaign.

“Efforts such as the Whaddya Got to Sell? store and the Corvette raffle not only help us fund our programs but also help us grow our name and awareness for what we are trying to accomplish,” she said.

Levin said he is hoping to bring the Corvette to local events and welcomes sponsors who are interested in the raffle or Cool Kids Campaign.

Raffle tickets can be purchased at the Whaddya Got to Sell? store at 4425 Mountain Road in Pasadena or online at www.coolkidscampaign.org. The drawing will be held on October 1, 2011. For more information, please call 443-770-0128.