After 50 years and nearly as many sales at the Bethlehem Municipal Ice Rink, the cancer charity known as Boutique at the Rink is relocating to St. Luke’s SportsPlex in South Whitehall Township for its 2025 sale. The multiday fundraiser will change its name to Boutique for Hope as its leadership pursues plans for growth.

The sale days are set for June 11-14.

It was noted one of the chief reasons for the location switch were larger on-site parking lots, greater indoor square footage and superior amenities at the SportsPlex. St. Luke’s has allotted three bays, each of which is as large as a basketball court, which will allow the Boutique to take place entirely indoors in a climate-controlled environment.

According to St. Luke’s Senior Development Event Producer Lori Coursen, the lot directly in front of the building has more than 300 parking spots, with additional parking in the lot closer to the outdoor courts. Grassy areas can accommodate “a few hundred” additional vehicles.

Coursen noted the SportsPlex has hosted 1,000 guests during pickleball and wrestling tournaments, for which the parking was sufficient.

Marie Jordan, who started the Boutique’s toys and games department 21 years ago with fellow volunteer Pat d’Italia and her mother, emphasized the increased comfort for Boutique patrons and volunteers that will come with the move.

Additional concerns with the Bethlehem location included birds, allergies and issues during hot days.

Carol Jacoby, who cochaired the Boutique in 2019 and remained on the leadership team, echoed the concern about the birds. She recalled working with other volunteers to cover everything with sheets each night, and returning to find the sheets and floors covered with bird droppings. As an open-air facility, the rink is subject to heat, cold, windy rainstorms and nesting barn swallows, making multiday storage of vast numbers of items challenging.

Restrooms at the SportsPlex — which formerly housed the Parkland Pickleball Club and the Lehigh Valley Racquet and Fitness Center and was completely renovated by St. Luke’s in 2023 — are also more numerous and modern than those at the Bethlehem Municipal Rink.

The Boutique has grown during its 50 years. In 2024, more than 350 people volunteered to set up, sort donations and staff the sale itself. That year, the group raised more than $360,000, disbursing donations to Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley, St. Luke’s Cancer Center and St. Luke’s Hospice. Organizers hope fewer physical limitations will allow it to grow further.

“We’ve been bursting at the seams these past few years,” Boutique organizer Barbara Vinci said.

“We’ve been talking for several years about the fact that we seem to be outgrowing the rink,” Jacoby added.

Jacoby is optimistic about the new location. She hopes all-day volunteers will appreciate the comfort of standing on wooden floors instead of concrete.

“We also have the opportunity to tap into a whole new audience,” she added.

In 2014, Boutique volunteer Pat Lowman compiled decades’ worth of memories, facts, figures and photos to create a book celebrating the 40th anniversary of the event. Among the changes over the years were the city building a roof over the rink in 1998, the main sale moving from the fall to the spring when hockey teams began using the rink in 2002 and the city charging a rental fee for use of the rink in 2011.

Donation drop-off schedules varied as volunteer availability changed. Acceptable donations changed as household goods and toys were deemed suitable or unsuitable. Different public and private organizations gave time and donated everything from fixtures to beverages for volunteers.

Through it all, a spirit of cooperation prevailed.

“Over the years, there could have been issues that caused some logistical things to be done in a way that wasn’t ideal,” Michael Alkhal, city engineer, recalled. “But we’ve always been able to work through them.”

Bethlehem Recreation Director Jodi Evans, who worked closely with Boutique volunteers and coordinators for the past five years, shares her colleague’s view.

“Every year, it has been a good experience,” Evans said, noting that last year, the city’s youth football organization allowed the use of its parking lot for the shuttle that St. Luke’s provided for volunteers, freeing up parking at the rink lot for Boutique patrons.

Donation days are May 21-24 and May 27-31. Donations of clothing should be new, or gently used, and any donated glassware, flatware or dishes should be complete sets. The location is the St. Luke’s SportsPlex, 4636 Crackersport Road, South Whitehall Township.

Individuals and groups interested in volunteering, donating or shopping are invited to call 610-861-7555, email info@boutiqueforhope.com or visit boutiqueforhope.com.