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Raising the bar for Toy N Joy campaign Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 139 November 10, 2021 ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
In their 39th year of operation, organizers of the annual Merchants’ Toy N Joy Auction are raising the goal. “Our goal for this year, since it’s the 39th year, is to gross $39,000,” auction volunteer Susannah Sass said. Last year, the fundraising team responded to the pandemic by facilitating an online event, along with raffles and opportunities for cash donations. The three-pronged approach to fundraising yielded more donations than ever before. “I think we ended up having our best year ever,” Sass said. “Obviously we had two events, but we grossed just over $50,000 last year.” The auction will still be held virtually this year according to Sass, but Toy N Joy organizers have updated their engagement strategy to make the event livelier and keep regular donations rolling in. “We’ve started utilizing a lot more social media time to get more people aware, build awareness, and educate people on what we do,” Sass said. “It’s been a little different the past few years, because we really don’t have a need for actual boots on the ground if we’re not having a physical event.” Sass said that Toy N Joy fundraisers intend to make the bidding process as close to normal as possible. “We’re going to set up a Facebook Live so people can see the items (displayed) instead of just the photos on the website,” she said. Sass said that an auc-
A large crowd of just over 300 guests gathered for the 37th annual Merchants’ Toy N Joy Auction in 2019.
tion held online allows the fundraiser to reach a wider audience. “(There) are a consistent 300 people every year, and a lot of the time it can be the same 300 people,” Sass said. “Switching to online has really broadened our audience, adding things that anybody can donate cash to. We have a lot of people that asked us about donating toys, and we can just direct them straight down to the fire station.” Unwrapped new toys may be dropped off at Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) stations. Some of the items up for bid this year include sunglasses, acupuncture sessions, wine baskets, gift cards to local businesses, and a Christmas tree with decorations inspired by last
year’s theme: The Ultimate Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. “When we finally meet in person, we’ll be doing an ugly sweater contest. But for this year, we have a tree that we usually decorate and auction off fully decorated. The Christmas sweater will be the theme for the decoration for the tree,” Sass said. “We tried a virtual online ugly sweater contest last year and it didn’t really get a lot of participation.” Toy N Joy also offers more cost-effective ways of participating, such as the raffle, where ticket prices run as low as $5. “We’re going to be raffling off a generator, KitchenAid mixer and other items that I haven’t picked up yet, a few gift baskets,” Sass
said. “We (also) have tickets to Hillsboro Hops games, Portland Thorns games, a signed soccer ball from the Portland Timbers to pick up and gift certificates mainly to the local places.” The funds benefit CRFR Volunteers’ Toy N Joy Program, Scappoose Care & Share, the St. Helens Kiwanis Holiday Hope program, Community Action Team and the Columbia Pacific Food Bank. The projects by these groups are designed to assist local families in need. Sass has been involved with the program for over 20 years and her daughter Susannah Sass has followed her lead and joined her in organizing the event. “It’s fun for me to help try to make every Christmas
Courtesy photo
the best Christmas for other people in our community, especially this year when everything is so unscrewed and just crazy,” she said. “I am just a sucker for Christmas.” Bidding for the online auction runs from Thanksgiving to 7 p.m. Dec. 4. The annual event has raised over $600,000 in the last 37 years, according to Mindy Sass, mother of Susannah and president of the auction. Businesses can donate gift cards up until Nov. 16. Businesses can donate items to be auctioned, and anyone is welcome to make a cash donation. Those who prefer to donate cash or directly to CRFR can refer to the link: www.crfr.com/toynjoy.
The reimagination of Humps Originally published in The Chief Vol. 130 November 12, 2021 ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief
Humps has been a focal point of Clatskanie dating all the way back to the 60s.
The Chief has learned that the sale of the former Humps Restaurant is in the works and the building could be transformed into a mixed-use location. The structure, located in the middle of the city, is nestled on the banks of the Clatskanie River. The building offers a 12,000-square-foot interior in a two-story building which includes a basement. ARK Real Estate, Inc.
Principal Broker Jenny Erhardt said the sale of the Humps property is pending, and the new owners are expected to work on the new building by the end of the year. The potential buyers of the property had not been identified at press time, but they are already envisioning what to do with the property located at 50 Columbia River Highway, according to Erhardt. “There will be retail and wholesale operations taking place in the building and potentially even recreational activities,” Erhardt said. The former restaurant has been sitting idle
since Dec. 2018, attracting speculation from passersby as to what the future of the property holds. On July 17, The Chief conducted a poll asking readers how they would like to see the former Humps Restaurant transformed. The majority of readers favored the idea of the property becoming a craft brewery. In an article published by The Chief in the summer of 2019, Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce President Monica Seidl said Humps had been the center of discussion as an economic trigger for the city. “There has been hope
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that it may become a brew pub at some point,” she said. “That a large company would come in and reopen it so that it could become an iconic location on the way to the coast.” “Humps should be a great thing if we can find an owner,” Clatskanie Mayor Bob Brajcich said in the 2019 article. “If you’ve got a cold beer and a good sandwich, that’s about all it takes.” Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman told The Chief in 2020 that he would like to see the building continue to be used as a restaurant, with the Humps name attached. “It was a historical landmark in Clatskanie and a destination,” Hinkelman said. “I would like to see that happen again for the city. It doesn’t have to be a traditional restaurant, a brew pub or something like that. I would like to see the building occupied and used as a restaurant, because that’s what it’s been for 50-60 years.” The beloved fixture of Clatskanie closed on Aug. 27, 2017, in response to a combination of diminishing business and costly overhead, according General Manager Jeremiah Cameron. Cameron is the son of owners Rob and Brenda Cameron, who reopened Humps in 2014 after previous owners shut it down in 2011. In 2020, Humps was listed for sale at $850,000. The specific 2021 sale details are pending. Follow this developing story at thechiefnews.com and in the Friday print editions of The Chief.