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11 February 2011 (The Aucklander) - Hand over your loot and help the YMCA turn its garage sale into a behemoth affair. Sophie Bond checks out the venue.
Five students bound into the empty stadium, quickly filling it with their chatter. They hope that by February 19, laden tables will fill the space for the YMCA's first Monster Garage Sale. |
All money raised in the sale will go to the YMCA's youth development programme, Raise Up, which operates at eight sites around Auckland.
These teens, in their blue, emblazoned T-shirts, are from schools in Mt Albert. They meet weekly to organise events and workshops in their community and will help run the garage sale.
Shavaun MacArthur, who has been in Raise Up for two years, enjoys the friendships and the satisfaction of engaging with her community. "When we do a good job and we know we've put the effort in, we really get a good response," says the 17-year-old.
Raise Up coordinator Kev Carter, who works with the Mt Albert group, says most crews have around 20 members and they regularly organise events for as many as 600 other local teens. "Because we're driven by the young people, we can cater events for each community."
He says all Raise Up activities are free or heavily discounted and money raised in the garage sale will be of great help.
"At the moment, we're in a funding gap as crews used to be funded by the council specific to their area. We're not yet sure where we sit with the new council."
YMCA recreation coordinator Terry Robinson says Raise Up is struggling financially this year and he would hate to see it have to cut programmes. His idea for the fundraiser came after seeing a successful garage sale at a local school and he hopes to make it an annual event.
"We have the big facility to hold it in and in the long run it should be an easy thing to get up and running."
He says it would be lovely to fill the YMCA stadium but they need many more donations from the public and businesses. "If we can raise $10,000 that would be great, but it's all going to come down to what we get in here."
Here be monsters
If you have used or new items to donate please call Terry, (09) 303 2069 to arrange delivery. The sale is on Saturday, February 19, 8am to noon at the YMCA stadium, corner of Pitt St and Greys Ave, central Auckland. It will include an auction of new items, a cake stall, barbecue and entertainment.
COPYRIGHT © The Aucklander
Article - Sophie Bond
Photo - Kellie Blizard
http://www.theaucklander.co.nz/local/news/rise-up-to-a-monster-occasion/3939759/