Castle Pines North resident Tammy Abramovitz (right) uses the community garage sale to raise funds for non-profit The Picnic Foundation. (Photo by Tim Gamble)

By Carin Kirkegaard

For the past four years, local Castle Pines North (CPN) resident, Tammy Abramovitz, has utilized the CPN community garage sale to clean out closets and raise thousands of dollars for her self-started nonprofit organization The Picnic Foundation.

From her childhood in Texas, some of Abramovitz’s fondest memories are of putting a lunch in a brown paper sack, getting in the car and heading out to a park or lake to enjoy the day. These memories coupled with a strong desire to give back were the inspiration for The Picnic Foundation.

The Picnic Foundation serves families that need a picnic, both in times of sorrow and times of celebration. The “picnic” can be as simple as a gift card to a local restaurant or as personal as a home cooked meal tucked into a traditional picnic basket.

For families who have lost a loved one, the foundation provides what Abramovitz calls “Dinner and a Discussion.” Arriving in a pizza box with a gift card from California Pizza Kitchen and accompanied with appropriately aged books on grieving, Abramovitz hopes to help the family through their loss. In times of celebration, Abramovitz has provided snacks for local volunteers and meals for mothers bringing a new baby home from the hospital.

“Like all women, when there is a funeral or someone coming home from the hospital, I bring food,” said Abramovitz. “The foundation helps me do this in a far greater capacity than my own personal funds could. What keeps me going is the feeling I get after dropping a picnic off for a family and that is something I will never get tired of.”

Served with authentic southern hospitality, Abramovitz’s Picnic Foundation is far reaching. She has helped people not only in the Castle Pines community, but all over the United States.

With the community garage sale, Abramovitz not only cleans out her own closets, she has also taken donations from friends and neighbors. Her first year, a friend and Silpada jewelry representative showed up with the remaining collection of the outgoing season’s jewelry. All the proceeds from the jewelry sale directly benefited the foundation.

Have an unused picnic basket lying around? Consider dropping it off at 7380 Brixham Circle in Castle Pines North for Abramovitz to fill with a picnic. For more information about The Picnic Foundation email tammydenver@yahoo.com.

Sponsored by the CPN Master Association, the community garage sale will be held on May 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and on May 16 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Master Association will advertise in area local papers as well as post flyers and provide neighborhood maps in area businesses.

Residents can advertise their individual sale or list merchandise via the CPN Master Association website at www.cpnhoa.org.