140 vendors lined up for spring garage sale

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People who love garage sales will find everything they need under one roof this Saturday when the United Way opens the doors for its annual spring garage sale in Brandon.

“We have 140 vendors and that’s sold out again this year,” Janis Evens, director of events and community investments for United Way Brandon and District, said Wednesday.

“We’ll have collectors, crafters, bakers and retailers. Anything you could imagine, you’ll be able to find it.”

The 13th annual spring garage sale will be held in the Manitoba Room at the Keystone Centre. Doors open at 9 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. Admission is $3 and is free for children 12 and under.

The United Way also holds a fall garage sale, but Evens said this is the biggest of the two, with almost double the attendance. Maybe it’s spring fever, she added, but there’s always an air of excitement.

“This is the kickoff to garage sale season and people are itching to get out and start ‘garage-saling.’ In fact, we have anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 come through the doors,” Evens said.

Pulling off an event this size takes months of planning and an army of volunteers. The whole day will require up to 30 people doing jobs like taking admission, selling 50/50 tickets and helping the vendors unload their wares first thing Saturday morning.

“We have volunteers that come in at 6 a.m. to help the vendors move in. People will back their vehicles up to the big door, and our volunteers roll up with big carts, help them unload and take them to their tables,” said Evens.

“And that’s a bonus for a vendor who might say, ‘I have help unloading and then have at least 3,000 people walking by my table. I don’t have to worry about the weather or worry about people parking to come to the garage sale. I unload and I sell.’”

The money raised during the garage sale can range from $9,000 to $15,000, said Evens. The United Way uses the proceeds to fund 23 agencies with 28 programs in Brandon and district.

There are three programs that the local office organizes — Tools for Schools, Coats for Kids and the Summer of Service program. It runs through July and August and is specifically designed for those 13 to 18 years old.

Through the Summer of Service program, students can earn a school credit for signing up for a shift of two to three hours a week.

“That gets the younger people out there, knowing that their two hours a week is doing something for their community, and that’s important,” Evens said.

“I know of a lot of organizations with a volunteer base that is getting a little bit older, and it’s a challenge to get those younger people in and get them volunteering.

“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our volunteers.”

Sunday is the beginning of National Volunteer Week, which runs until May 3. The theme this year is “Volunteers Make Waves.”

On Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., the Brandon and District United Way will be in city council chambers with Mayor Jeff Fawcett, who will sign a proclamation recognizing the week of honouring volunteers.

For more information about volunteering in the community or how to recognize someone who deserves to be in the spotlight, call 204-571-8929.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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