On Saturday June 23, I experienced an event that left me nothing short of speechless. Because our Cancer support group, Lifting Hearts, was in desperate need of funds, the officers put together a huge yard sale. I don’t frequent yard sales, although I see them from time to time on Saturdays as we drive about town. However, I have seen nothing as big or as well planned as the one I witnessed first hand that day.
I arrived at 7AM ready to work. Denise had been at Robinson Park since about 5 AM to reserve our spot since they operate on a first come first serve basis. When I arrived the tent was already set up for the bake sale which was to be my post. The men were moving countless tables into place to display the items that had been gathered for a few weeks. Since I had not been involved in the gathering process, I wondered what would fill them. On one end of the park were six or seven huge racks for hanging the clothes which had been donated. I was in awe of the organization I was witnessing even though none of the items had yet arrived.
Next, the trucks and trailers began to arrive with the items we would sell. They were all priced and packed in boxes according to their contents (house wares, accessories, decorations, baby items, books, appliances, clothes and on and on.) Kara told me that they had several garages full of items donated. Not only were the clothes racks full, but many of the tables were overloaded with clothes as well. Although the yard sale actually started at 8:30, people began arriving before we were ready to help them.
You can imagine my surprise when Kara brought out the cash register and began to set it up. This was a first class operation and I was glad to be a part of it! We had a steady stream of shoppers until noon when my shift was over. Because the clothing items were marked so low ($.50 for children’s items and $1.00 for adult items) I saw several parents fill huge shopping bags full of clothes for their family members. The yard sale went until 6PM and after it was over many clothes and items were given to families who were in need and also to Deseret Industries. Also, Lifting Hearts made over $2500.00. Needless to say it was a win-win situation for everyone involved.
I read somewhere that some people find opportunities in every discouragement while others find discouragement in every opportunity. I could only imagine how much time it took to gather, price, box, store, and transport the items we sold that day. I chuckled as I thought of myself organizing such an event. I would not have known where to start! But thanks to the efforts of the board members, their families, many Cancer survivors and others, Lifting Hearts took advantage of a great opportunity, which enabled them to continue to help the women who benefit from their loving care. And I can keep writing the Thursday Thoughts which I enjoy doing so much. I am so proud to belong to this wonderful and capable group of women.
Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member, Lifting Hearts
P.S. My thanks goes out to everyone who helped with the yard sale in any way. It was amazing to see everyone come together, and I agree with Kathy... we will now be able to continue helping many women. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! -Kara
