Catch our sweet anniversary double header 

We are approaching yet another milestone at The I.D.E.A. Store, and once again, we couldn't have done it without you! Oct. 1 marks our second anniversary! Woot!

Those of you who have been with us since the beginning know that we have just about doubled our retail, warehouse and classroom space since we opened two years ago. And during that time, we've made great progress toward our goal of supporting public schools in the community. To date, we have contributed $10,000 to our parent organization, the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation. CUSF, in turn, provides funding for a host of important, critically needed K-12 programs in Champaign and Urbana schools.

Given all that, as we move forward and launch our third year in business, we want to invite you to DOUBLE your pleasure and your fun by joining us for TWO special anniversary events.

The first, on Friday, Sept. 28 from 4-7 p.m., is a special Community Night Hosted by Fannie May at their retail store located a block west of The I.D.E.A. Store at 402 S. Neil St., Champaign. During those designated hours, 20 percent of all sales will be donated by Fannie May to CUSF.

As anyone who's ever volunteered at The I.D.E.A. Store well knows, we are a chocolate-powered organization! One of the rewards of working at the store is ready access to a steady dose of Fannie May candies. So when the nice folks at Fannie May asked us to participate in their Community Night event, The I.D.E.A. Store staff and team of dedicated über volunteers did not blink at the chance to be right where we've always dreamed of being - behind the candy counter (just one step removed from our favorite "I Love Lucy" episode!).

Please stop by and buy on Sept. 28! Maybe one for you and one for a friend or loved one? Or even TWO for YOU? However you do the math, please drop in and take home some chocolate! Who knows ... just watching your friends from The I.D.E.A. Store working outside the box, so to speak, might be worth the price of admission!

* Oct. 6, Champaign's first annual "Midtown Fall Festival." The I.D.E.A. Store will be participating in this one-day fun day. We'll be one of the sites on the event's scavenger hunt. Watch our Facebook page and the next The I.D.E.A. Store newsletter for more details.

* Oct. 13, "Tree for All" event, downtown Urbana. Our volunteers plan to show children how to make windchimes from Mardi Gras beads.

* Oct. 27, soldering workshop. Just ONE opening left in this second, added workshop taught by Sheila Daniels in the store's classroom area. See our Sept. 6-19 newsletter for details and call the store to register, 352-7878.

* Nov. 9-10, Jewelry Blowout Sale. We'll be hosting another of these popular two-day sales at the store from 4-7 p.m. on Nov. 9; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 10.

Looking for some fun new ways to pair reusable items and your talent? Have we got a match for you! Seriously, The I.D.E.A. Store always has plenty of old advertising matchbooks and matchboxes. Maybe one of these ideas will strike your fancy!

* Make a note of this. 

* Looking for a good read? Pull a matchbox classic off the shelf! 

* Transform matchboxes into art!

* Here's a fun project for the kids ... a miniature matchbox  pinhole camera.

Team members from the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation ran, jumped, climbed and wallowed in mud - and in the end, raised $2,000 for the Foundation - as competitors in the recent Car-X Krazy K at the Champaign County Fairgrounds. The team included two familiar faces from The I.D.E.A. Store - Manager Gail Rost and Assistant Manager Ning Zulauf (though you may not recognize them in this photo!).

More than one team member reported nursing sore muscles the day after the race. But what's a little pain and a whole lot of dirt among friends? Gail likely summed it up best: "I am willing to sell out part of my dignity for a good cause."

The Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation saw a need in the community to accomplish several things: 1.  Support the arts and arts education, 2.  Support environmental education in our communities, 3. Impact the environment by reducing the rate of waste disposal, 4. create a place for everyone to have access to quality materials and 5. Support itself in light of the difficult economic times.  So donate your discards and shop re-use.  Its about making a difference!

 www.cuSchoolsFoundation.org