Fortuna’s Senior Center Big Treasure Hunt Begins

Today was the start of the Fortuna Senior Center’s Big Treasure Hunt,the hunt is a fundraiser for the senior center as they continue to raise funds for their new facilities in Fortuna.

The center collected items earlier this week for the sale before opening up their shop on Thursday.

“This is only our second year. And oh, my gosh, there’s so much stuff here,” said Marsha Hays, the President of the Board for Fortuna’s Senior Center.

While some items have a set price, most are up for interpretation with volunteers asking customers “what do you think it should be worth?”

The senior center has grown from just 16 members in the early 2000s to hundreds of members today. The membership is $40 annually and gets you access to all of the center’s activities.

“It’s a fundraiser. And so they also feel good about the fact that while they’re buying things that they could use,they’re supporting the senior center,” said Alice Oliphant, the editor for the senior center’s newsletter.

All of the workers for the Big Treasure Hunt are local volunteers, including Alice Roberts.

“People are so generous in their donations and I just love being handed a box and it’s like a treasure box,” Roberts said.

While customers can purchase products from a wide variety of items, the senior center also uses it as an outreach opportunity to spread the word about the services they provide for the community.

The hunt will continue through Saturday, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. For more information, visit fortunasenior.org.