Giving something back to the community: Kaiserslautern club hosts annual Pfennig Bazaar

The Pfennig Bazaar, the biggest non-profit flea market in the region, will open its doors in the Event Hall at the Gartenschau in Kaiserslautern, March 7.

It is the 53rd Pfennig Bazaar, organized by the German-American and International Women's Club in Kaiserslautern. "This is the highlight of the club year," said Christine Schneider, President of the GAIWC. "It is so important because we believe in supporting our community."

Proceeds are donated to local German and American organizations. "Last year, we donated to the Fisher Houses in Landstuhl and a German orphanage," Schneider said. The club raises about 35,000 euro annually and donates to different organizations. All kinds of second-hand items from household goods to clothing to decorations will be offered for low prices at the bazaar.

About half of the club's 200 members contribute to the Pfennig Bazaar, whether it's by donating a treat for the cake buffet, helping with the set-up or the sale. "We are all volunteers and donate items and our time," Schneider said. "We have people who have been in the club for 50 years and they still come and help." The club starts collecting items for the bazaar half a year in advance.

Schneider has been a club member since 2009 and was elected president in May 2013. She is married to a U.S. Air Force retiree and has two daughters.

The Pfennig Bazaar is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. March 7 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 8-9. For more information, visit http://www.daifc.de.