1st Street Swap Meet keeping drugs off streets

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Dozens of community members gathered on 1st Street in Idaho Falls Saturday in an effort to keep drugs off Eastern Idaho streets.

Idaho Falls Bonneville County D.A.R.E partnered with Planet Doom and dozens of other local vendors to host the first, and more to come, Swap Meet.

Organizers of the swap meet say the first day was a success.

With over 20 different vendors, crowds were drawn to check out booths, filling the parking lot outside of Planet Doom.

Items for sale ranged from homemad goods, used household items, and a variety edible delights.

Sgt. Bryan Lovell, public information officer for the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office tells us the event will help raise money to pay for all of the materials and resources to D.A.R.E deputies needed for the program.

"The funds from Idaho Falls Bonneville County Dare will go to help pay for all of the workbooks, materials for projects, things that they do for graduation like t-shirts and incentive things for a lot of the projects too," said Lovell.

Funding from all the booth rentals will go towards supporting the local D.A.R.E. program.

Holding a swap meet in support of the program is made possible by Vender Leaf Call of Fire & Smoke BBQ, who originally brought the idea to Idaho Falls Bonneville County D.A.R.E.

"It's a charitable program. We figured it'd be a good way to boost something in Idaho Falls. We got the Green Belt but that's a whole different venue. This is a great location and we just we needed something like this to happen," said Call.

Turnout for the event kept the parking lot full throughout the day.

Call says the first day was a success and is thrilled to see what he's been envisioning appear in front of his very eyes.

"We used to have swap meets here when I was younger. I've lived in the bigger cities with the swap meets. I love them. I mean to me, it's just a fun big yard sale," said Call.

Anyone who missed the event will have another chance next Saturday and every Saturday now through mid-October.

The second swap meet is expected to be even larger than the first.

Organizers anticipate the amount of vendors participating will double next week and will continue to grow here on out.