LACEY – Goodwill will hold a grand opening Sept. 18 of a new South Lacey Store, featuring a Junior Fashions Department, expanded Book Department and a large inventory of gently used clothes, household items and one-of-a-kind treasures that make for great values.

The South Lacey Goodwill Store is located at 4750 Yelm Highway S.E., in the Little Prairie Shopping Center off College Street. A brief ceremony will start at 8:45 a.m. with Lacey Mayor Graeme Sackrison, and Tacoma Goodwill CEO Terry A. Hayes on hand to welcome shoppers. There will opportunities to win a DVD player, iPod nano, $30 gas cards and $100 shopping sprees after doors open at 9 a.m.

“This store offers more than 20,000 square feet of one-of-a-kind treasures and great values,” said Hayes. “More importantly, more than 90 cents of every dollar spent at our stores supports our mission: to change lives by helping people with disabilities or disadvantages go to work.”

Hayes thanked architects BCRA; the contractor, Sharp Construction with Bruce Hoessly and Bruce Hoessly Jr.; and MK Property Services and Lisa Strause for their work renovating the former retail store to fit Goodwill’s specific needs.

Sharon Kelly, a Lacey resident, will be the store’s manager. Kelly started with Tacoma Goodwill in June 2006 as the production manager at the Lacey Goodwill Store. Kelly has been working as interim manager at the Goodwill Outlet Store in Tacoma since July 2008.

More than 35 jobs were created to operate the store. It includes employment for cashiers, production workers, forklift drivers and management staff, Hayes noted. The store will also include a Work Opportunity Center to provide job-training and placement services for the community. The store will also have a donation station open during regular business hours to provide a convenient drop off point for the public.

The store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The store can be reached by calling 360.456.1800 and fax at 360.456.4541.

The store will be the 21st for Tacoma Goodwill and marks the second Goodwill store in the city – and the third in Thurston County. The Lacey Goodwill Store is located at 1145 Galaxy Drive N.E. and the Olympia Goodwill Store is located at 400 Cooper Point Road S.W. Tacoma Goodwill’s service area covers 15 counties, including most of the Olympic Peninsula, Thurston, Pierce and south King counties, and east to Yakima and Ellensburg.