Big Lots donates to Boyertown High School

The new store in town gave community memebers a chance to check things out, before the offical grand opening.

Big Lots, on East Philadelphia Ave., held a ribbon cutting ceremony this past Friday to commemorate the new store.

Pennsylvania State Representative David Maloney Sr., Boyertown Area High School principal Dr. Brett Cooper, and store manager Michelle Ricco participated in the ceremony.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, Dr. Cooper accepted a $2,500 check from Big Lots district manager Jeff Ferencic on behalf of the Boyertown Area High School. That money will be put into the student activities account.

Dr. Cooper, who worked in the area growing up, was pleased with the choice to open a Big Lots in Boyertown. “What’s good for the community is good for the school,” Dr. Cooper said.

Ferencic was delighted with the turnout for the grand opening. When the store first opened up a week ago, 125 people turned out for the event. There was a decent turnout for the ceremony and the store was bustling after the ceremony finished. “This is a great day for us. We’ve been excited about the community support all week,” Ferencic said.

The Big Lots crew didn’t experience the struggles and headaches that typically accompany the process of trying to start a new business. “It went very, very smoothly. The community has treated us well so far,” Michelle Ricco, store manager said.

Shoppers explored the aisles, examined the products, tested out the furniture, and enjoyed light refreshments: doughnuts, coffee, and juice, as they experienced the store for the first time. For some, this was their second or third time inside the store, as was the case for Ardi and Lenore Sands of Boyertown. “We’re happy to see a store like this come to the area,” Lenore said.

The reaction has been positive in regards to the store and what it could do for the community.