(Garage sale volunteers Nancy Hanna, right, Lisa Grothier, top left
and Grothier's daughter Kelly Buell are pictured beside some of the
many goods on sale Saturday during the Treasures for Champions
Garage Sale.)
(Brockville) – A garage sale Saturday turned old books, Battleship games and Barbie dolls into nearly $2,000 to help kids in need play sports, enjoy dance lessons or seek dental care.
The Treasures for Champions garage sale, held at the Board’s Brockville office, raised about $1,860 through the sale of donated items to benefit the Upper Canada District School Board Champions for Kids Foundation. Another $140 was collected through the sale of Champions T-shirts.
“We were just blown away,” said Mark Calder, foundation public relations director. “We all said beforehand we would be happy to raise $1,000 but to double that – we’re ecstatic.
“That means 20 young kids can now play soccer, or 10 children can get a new pair of eyeglasses, or six young girls can take that first ballet lesson. That’s phenomenal.”
Organizers were worried halfway through last week when they had received few donations to the sale from the community, said Calder. However, area residents pulled through after articles about the sale hit area newspapers. An interview with CFJR Radio hosts Sam Rankin and Bruce Wylie also helped raise awareness about the event.
When Friday afternoon rolled around, volunteers had received dozens of boxes of goods including: old books, dishes, cups and cutlery, television sets and VCRs, children’s stuffed toys, antique kitchenware, collectable costume jewelry, sporting equipment, DVDs and video games, microwave ovens and grills.
“We were just amazed at the generosity of people out there.”
The UCDSB Champions for Kids Foundation was formed in January 2008 to help kids in need play sports, enjoy the arts, or seek medical or dental care. So far, the foundation has raised nearly $100,000 to help kids in eastern Ontario.
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The next fundraising event for the foundation is the Champions for Kids Fun Run/Walk Sunday, June 14 at the Ferguson Forest Centre in Kemptville. The event will include a 1 or 5 kilometer walk or centipede run.
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For more information, please visit the Champions for Kids Web site at http://championsforkids.ucdsb.on.ca or call:
Mark Calder
Public Relations Director
UCDSB Champions for Kids Foundation
613-342-0371 ext. 1149