Garage Sale offers ‘super’ fund raiser for Windmill Village
For a full year, organizers and volunteers from Windmill Village collect items and donations for their annual Trash & Treasure Sale.
“I call it our Superbowl fund raiser because it is the biggest fund raiser at Windmill Village for the year,” said organizer Garnet Smith. “We try to raise enough money to last us through January of the next year for a variety of programs inside and outside of our community. We have over 100 volunteers that take part in setting up this event.”
It is sponsored by the Windmill Village Community Club, and will be held at the clubhouse.
“It has been incredibly successful in the past,” he continued. “The Community Club is a non profit organization to enhance the lifestyle of the park’s residents. We do things like supplying medical equipment such as crutches and portable wheelchairs for the physically impaired residents. At our monthly meal, we take a meal to our physically impaired residents who cannot attend the dinner at the clubhouse and we donate monies to the Share Program, which donates food to those in need within our area.”
The event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Windmill Village community, at U.S. 41 and Littleton Road. It will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will everything from furniture to computer equipment to clothing, TV sets and more. There will also be the popular bake table, and lunch with soup and chili will be available.
There’s even a silent auction table with lots of items.
The event has been known to draw huge crowds in the past, several years with over 600 in attendance. That means they need a lot of items.
“It”s taken over a year collecting items and storing them for this yard sale,” he said. “Sometimes it is daunting, because we are getting older, but it is to benefit our residents and hopefully it will be a zoo that day.”
This is the 31st annual Trash & Treasure Day, and it is a tradition to collect through the year. And there is that big number of volunteers that pitch in to make it a success. “It”s amazing the people that show up, and there are some great buys that benefit all the people of Windmill Village.”
Smith has been organizing this event for the last six years. “I hold a planning meeting and I’m always amazed at the number of volunteers that turn out wanting to help our community.”
Windmill Village is a 55+ community with over 500 homes. “Many of the residents have lived there a long time, and so have the volunteers. For example, Jake Dietz has been doing the furniture for over 20 years. He can’t do the heavy lifting anymore but he still organizes it. They collect all the items on a golf cart with a trailer, if you can imagine that. Residents leave items at driveway or call and let us know there are items.”
There’s also Nancy Pauley, who runs the Bake Table, who has also been doing this for more than 20 years. Her husband Bill Pauley has also helped for years.
They also have many area businesses donate gift certificates and prizes for the silent auction table.
Some of the organizers, committee chairs and volunteers include the following residents, but there are so many more that are not listed, said Smith. He is the committee chair and in charge of publicity.
Bake Table organizers include Nancy Pauley, Harriet Pauley, Judy Pauley and Nancy Brinegar; Books Julie Schmitz, Mary Dietz and Pam Schulz; Bedding Drapes & Linens, Jeannine Le Scoezec, Ellen Vient, Helen Fedele, Betty Fielder, Doreen Robinson and Eleanor George.
For clothing, it’s Sylvia Maxheimer, Marilyn Sage, Bea Hushak, Linda Wood, Leola Hayes, Mary Diekema, Phyllis Surbito, Lila Sorenson, Barb Stone, Barbara Heeb, Sylvia Brown and Cathy Beaulieu; Door Security, Jerry Engels and Dick Morningstar; Electronics & Stage, Rich Schmitz, Don Charles and Ray Leroux.
The Furniture Sales & Pickup committee has Jake Dietz, Dan Aubin, John Weil, Lee Coleman, Bill Mahoney, Jim Myers, Steve Overton, Ken Schulz, Bob Sage, Ray Morrison, Robert Savoie, Jim Fraser, Jack Ryan, Bill, Steve, Morris and Frank Pauley, Virgil Franks, Howard Wright, Paul Lozier, Tom Hyatt, Fred Surbito, Dave Zimmerman, Pat Kavanaugh and Joe Sullivan; Jewelry & Lamps, Lillian Loeffler, Becky Weiler, Cecile Paquette and Ann Marie Robichaud.
On kitchen items are Kathleen Leenders, Betty Myers, Charlotte Girard, Connie Hodgins, Danette Franks, Mary Lindsey and Gayle Brierly; Knick Knacks Judy Goyette, Vi Morningstar, Sharon Behrman, Gladys Leenders, Flo Grenier, Margaret Hyatt, Pat Weaver and Nancy Leroux.
Parking will be handled by Marty Oberkirch, along with Jim Shoemaker, Buck LeValley, Don Weiler, Ron Morley, Kirk Lindsey and Wayne Robichaud.
Pots & Pans are Carol Saretzki with Anita Delsignore, Sally Snell, Inez Crump and Cass Mitrushi.
Mary Lynn Smith with Sharleen Overton and Helen Smith will handle the Silent Auction.
Soup/Chili chairs are Donna and Phil Chilson, with Jerry and Dorothy Haney, Jack and Edna Cooper and Jerry Weaver lending a hand.
Under Trash & Treasure committee, there is Stan Behrman, with Jack Goostrey, Steve Overton, Robert Savoie, Richard Leenders, and Gilbert Le Scoezec.
The treasurers are Ruth Pickard and Jan Nicoline, with Marion Lobbett, Sally Steffen and Winnie Jones.
If you would still like to donate, help or need more information, call Smith at 652-6832.
Otherwise, organizers said, come and shop during the event to benefit those in the area.