A hush followed by loud cheers filled the room when it was announced the 39th "Boutique at the Rink" brought in nearly $204,000 in the four-day sale starting May 28 of used and nearly new clothing and household items at the Bethlehem Ice Rink on Illick's Mill Road.

The funds will benefit St. Luke's Hospital's Cancer Center, St. Luke's Hospice and the Cancer Support Center of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Expressing thanks to many of the 200 men and women volunteers for all their months of volunteer work in preparation for the sale, Pat Bower, St. Luke's vice president of development, spoke at the Boutique at the Rink Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by the hospital and held June 3 at Northampton Country Club.

Bower thanked the group for providing funds over the years to purchase items for the cancer causes.

"It is with gratitude I tell you your efforts in raising the needed money has a huge impact," he said. "There is new technology in breast cancer and St. Luke's will have this at the Anderson Campus. It will be the only one in Pennsylvania and you helped to pay for it."

you helped to pay for it."

Co-chairwomen were Francie DeSalvio, Joan Fishman and Susan Haytmanek. Chairwomen next year for the 40th anniversary of the Boutique will be Jan Connell, Sharon Kunsman, Maureen Cort and Karen Hein, all of whom are longtime volunteers.

DeSalvio said, "We have so many wonderful stories to tell. They make all our efforts on very hot days in the rink so worthwhile. There is a flight attendant who travels monthly from Newark Air Port to New Delhi, India. She heard about the Rink and bought a carload of clothing and toys to take to very needy people in India. We reach so many places, provide much needed goods and now we are in India."

The event has grown steadily over the years, starting 39 years ago under the leadership of the late Marjorie Foy and Rosemary Irish. They were married to Bethlehem Steel executives and proposed the sale to other Bethlehem people. The first year the sale was held, it made $11,000, which was considered a huge success by those who worked on it.