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Okotoks Parade of Garage Sales this weekend

One person’s junk is another’s treasure, and charity.

One person’s junk is another’s treasure, and charity.

Many participants in this weekend’s Parade of Garage Sales plan on sharing their earnings from selling old or unwanted items around their home and put all proceeds of their sales towards charities.

Allan Jones is donating all proceeds from his garage sale to the Red Cross to support disaster recovery and response efforts in Fort McMurray. He said he is troubled by the impact the fire is having on the community and wanted to do something to help.

“I was very overwhelmed by that and I thought, well if I can make $100 or $200, or whatever... that would be a gesture to help,” said Jones. “I don’t need the money.”

The 16th annual Parade of Garage Sales, hosted by the Okotoks Western Wheel, will run May 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 102 households have registered for the event across Okotoks. A mobile map app and list of addresses is available online at www.westernwheel.com.

It’s Jones’ second time in the Parade of Garage Sales.

He said it’s a good way to purge and get rid of some stuff around the house, while supporting a good cause. One of his neighbours has given him some items to sell and he said others are looking to set up their own garage sales.

“There’ll be some used furniture and some used golf bags and maybe some small kitchen appliances and stuff like that,” he said.

Kathryn Strilchuk will donate proceeds from her garage sale to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Her brother is a 20-year leukemia survivor and she was his bone marrow donor.

“I continue to do this because I can. I can and I know it makes a difference right here in our backyard,” she said.

Strilchuk runs in half-marathons and raises funds to support the society and has raised just over $46,000 on her own over the years at running events. She said the garage sale is a good way to continue her fundraising work. Strilchuk said she will have a variety of items on offer at her home for the sale.

“No garbage,” she said laughing, “We have a lot of furniture, housewares, there’s a really great push lawn-mower, we’re just amassing all the stuff right now.”

A group of parents of students from Big Rock School are joining together to host a large garage sale in the school’s gym, with the proceeds going towards upkeep and future upgrades to the school’s playground.

“We’re trying to hold fundraisers that will bring 100 per cent profit back to the school, instead of fundraisers where the parents buy something and we only get a portion of the proceeds back,” said Jamie Patroch, a parent and treasurer of the Home and School Association.

She said it hopes to have as many as 30 tables set up for families to sell items. The sale will run from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

She said it has allowed vendors and home businesses to buy tables at the event. There will also be a $1 admission fee for adults, children are free.

“If we can max out on the tables, then we’ve made a fair chunk of change for the playground equipment,” she said.

Gayle Wolf, Western Wheel officer manager, said many people participating in the Parade of Garage Sales share their revenues with charity. She said there continues to be great interest from people for the event year-after-year.

“It’s as popular as ever, even after 16 years,” she said.

The Parade of Garage Sales will be followed by the second annual Free Curbside Giveaway Day, hosted by the Town of Okotoks on May 22.

People are allowed to leave garage sale leftovers or other unwanted items on the curb in front of their home to give away for free. Items can be left outside from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and they must be removed after 4 p.m.

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