Despite rain and cloudy weather, Sea Cliff Avenue was packed with shoppers from the village and beyond for the annual Kiwanis Sea Cliff Mini Mart. Held on the first Sunday in October, Mini Mart raises money for the Kiwanis Club of North Shore. Vendors rent space, and those funds go toward Kiwanis initiatives like Klothes for Kids and scholarships. The global organization is dedicated to helping children in need.
With more than 200 vendors, this year’s Mini Mart was sold out. This was the first year the vendor selection process was entirely digital. Interested businesses filled out an online application, and the information was compared with data from past years. Organizers then chose the most fitting vendors for the event.
Longtime organizers Lisa and Roger Hill passed the task to Vinny Labbate and Tony Consalvo of Kiwanis’ Young Professionals Division. The Hills remained involved with the event, supporting the new organizers.
“It’s certainly rewarding,” Labbate said. “That’s the key piece here, is we’re doing this because we’re raising money to help children locally in need, and that’s really the driving force for getting the volunteers, getting good vendors and getting everybody on the same page that this isn’t just any art show that we’re putting on. We’re doing this because the outcome is truly helping people.”
Mini Mart featured a variety of items, mostly handcrafted. Among items were soap, jewelry, cosmetics, candles, clothing, woodwork and glasswork. Several vendors also offered food and drinks, and local bands played live music. Local organizations like North Shore Kiwanis, the North Shore High School Key Club and the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee also had booths.
