GROWING FUNDS The ‘Mother of all Garage Sales’

The ‘Mother of all Garage Sales’ annually turns treasures of all shapes and sizes into funding to support students through the Dr. Karl Stockhausen Memorial Scholarship.

“We’ve gotten everything from a sailboat to a fancy fur coat,” shares Karl’s mother, Carole Jean Stockhausen. “From clothes and books both new and rare to couches by the dozen or the pair, it’s become an annual community event that people look forward to.”

Now in its 24th year, the sale started when Carole Jean and her Girl Scout troop hosted a garage sale to earn enough money for the 13-year-olds to go to Savannah, GA, and visit the home of Girl Scout founder, Juliette Lowe. They raised $3,000 in year one, and another $4,000 the following year which meant they could finally make their planned trip. The girls had so much fun hosting the garage sale, they voted to make it an annual fundraiser and by 2004 had enough to go on an international camporee in West Sussex, England.

In the years that followed, the girls went off to college, but still enjoyed helping with the garage sale and community service. Some continue to be involved today. The proceeds from the sale have always been directed toward a good cause, but in 2015, after

Karl’s passing, a portion of what was raised each year started going toward the scholarship fund.

Today, donations for the sale are collected year-round and kept in a storage unit. When the sale is done, whatever remains is donated to 20-25 different agencies.

The Dr. Karl Stockhausen Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to 20 students in the past eight years, providing $95,000 to assist medical students who have a strong dedication to the service of others and have overcome, or continue to have, financial, physical or cultural challenges on their way to becoming a physician in the service of others. The scholarship was created thanks to a sizeable donation by a friend of Karl’s who says he made such an impression on her that she wanted to state a scholarship in his honor.

“Many of the students who are awarded the Dr. Karl scholarship have stories that are as powerful as Karl’s,” says Carole Jean. “We are honored to be part of the process of choosing recipients that embody Karl’s ideals. He was such a giver and had such empathy, especially for those with chronic illnesses.”