Verde Valley News – Verde Valley Sanctuary (VVS) is excited to announce its newest fundraising event this spring at the Twice Nice Thriftique in Sedona where for every three items donated, attendees will receive a raffle ticket that they can enter into a drawing for a prize.
Scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, the “Twice Nice Spring Thrifty” event will take place at Twice Nice Thriftique, 1225 W. State Route 89A in Sedona. During the fundraiser, attendees can donate their items, then enjoy refreshments and entertainment by Kaleidoscope Redrocks, a multi-instrumentalist sister duo out of Sedona. Yavapai Broadcasting will also be on site for a remote radio visit from KVRD Country 105.7 FM, and have a booth with prize wheel.
“We are excited to invite the Sedona and Verde Valley community to visit our Twice Nice Thriftique in Sedona. People love to spring clean at this time of year, and maybe they have a few items they’d like to donate to a good cause in the process,” VVS Development and Communications Director Brian Bergner said, adding that Twice Nice Thriftiques in Sedona and Camp Verde provide important funding for the agency, and aids the organization in providing a service to their clients.
“Our two thrift stores contribute to 20-25% of our annual operating budget, helping us provide free services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence,” Bergner said. “These thrift stores also allow us to serve our clients by providing them with much-needed clothing, shoes, outfits for job interviews and more. And it’s all free to them.”
VVS, whose mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, opened in 1994 and operates a 32-bed pet-friendly emergency shelter with 24/7/365 crisis hotline (928-634-2511), transitional housing with match savings program, lay legal advocacy, community-based advocacy, youth violence prevention education and public outreach and awareness.
During the “Twice Nice Spring Thrifty” event, Bergner said parking may be limited in the main lot at the front of the store facing State Route 89A. In effort to keep those limited spaces for handicap accessible vehicles only, community members are asked to turn on Airport Road (going south) via State Route 89A, then turn right (west) into the Sedona Elks Lodge where parking is available. For those looking to donate items and leave, they can continue through the main Elks Lodge parking lot, stopping at the store’s intake gate on the west side of the property. Community members can drop their items, then exit onto State Route 89A.
“We thank the Sedona Elks Lodge and their members for allowing us to use their parking lot for overflow,” Bergner said. “There will be parking signs posted and we’ll have an additional VVS thrift store truck to take donations as well to help with this process.”
Community members will be able to purchase more raffle tickets for entry into the drawing if they so choose, one for $5 or three for $10. Attendees will not need to be present to win, as contact information will be written on the raffle ticket, and the agency will complete the drawing via video and post its Facebook page.
On that Saturday, a silent auction is also planned, along with a visit from C. Eaton Photography, which will be hosting a VVS Pet Calendar Contest for 2026 to raise funds for the agency. Attendees are encouraged to bring their pets for a photograph, with a $5 entry cost. Submissions will be open to the public until April 30, with voting taking place at the same time. It will $1 per vote, according to owner Candice Eaton.
“I am thrilled to be bringing the pet calendar contest fundraiser to the area via Verde Valley Sanctuary. The mission of this organization to help women in crisis is important and often underserved. The fact that VVS opens its arms not just to women, but their pets as well makes this a perfect partnership,” Eaton said. “I can’t wait to see all of the entries and meet the 13 winners in May!”
More details on the VVS Pet Calendar Fundraiser will be announced at a later date.
Alicia Henson, store manager in Sedona, said events like the “Twice Nice Spring Thrifty” help draw attention to the organization’s mission as they aim to spread awareness about domestic and sexual violence.
“It’s an opportunity to connect with the community, create a sense of involvement among supporters, and a positive feel-good experience for shoppers while directly contributing to a local cause,” Henson said, adding that she will be offering 50% off most items in the store during the March 29 event.
“VVS’ mission is dear to my heart and the hearts of many other people who have seen or experienced domestic violence, or abuse,” Henson said. “What we do makes a difference in the lives of many individuals and the need for support will never cease.”
Members of the VVS Outreach team will be on hand to answer any questions a community member may have about the agency program.
Gracie and Tivona Moskoff, the duo who make up Kaleidoscope Redrocks, stated they were pleased to be part of the “Twice Nice Spring Thrifty” event.
“Home should feel like a safe place. Unfortunately, for some it does not. In fact, it can be a place of fear and despair. Domestic violence affects all sectors of society and can be embarrassing to admit and address,” the Moskoff’s said in a joint statement. “We became aware of this sad fact through our fundraising efforts for Verde Valley Sanctuary in 2021, learning about the vital work [they] do to help survivors of domestic violence, usually women and children. Sedona and the Verde Valley are fortunate [to have] an organization like VVS.”
The Moskoff’s announced they would donate their time, and 100% of any generous tips given to them during the event, to VVS. They have two albums titled, “Running Out of Time” (2023) and “Forever” (2024), and cover songs from a variety of genres including classic rock, country, folk, pop, punk and patriotic.
For more information, or if you would like to donate a silent-auction item for the “Twice Nice Spring Thrifty” event, please reach out to Bergner via phone at 928-821-9409, or email at brian@verdevalleysanctuary.com.
About
Verde Valley Sanctuary’s mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The agency began in 1994 as a grassroots organization with a leased modular home that slept six and has grown into a 32-bed emergency shelter with transitional housing options, a lay legal advocacy center, community-based advocacy support, a 24/7/365 crisis hotline (928-634-2511) and a staff that takes pride in its youth violence prevention education and public outreach and awareness. VVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and qualifying charitable organization for the Arizona Tax Credit. Federal Tax ID: #86-071314; QCO Code: #20041. Visit VerdeValleySanctuary.org for more information.