Church Rummage Sale Super-Sized
News
By Fred KoenigWhen Kimberling City United Methodist Church in the Ozarks District calls their annual garage sale the Super Sale, they are really not overstating it. This year the Super Sale raised $16,805.74. The accompanying bake sale that benefits the Weekend Back Pack program to send food home with elementary school children in need of help raised $1,179.
Some Super sale money goes to United Methodist’s Missions of Susanne Wesley House, Epworth Home, Della Lamb and Spofford. The rest of the profits go to 16 local non-profit organizations and charities. Also benefiting from the remaining merchandise that is given to them for their thrift stores or garage sales are Salvation Army, Christian Associates, Senior Center and Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch. United Methodist Men set up a brats and hamburger stand and sell a $5 lunch. This was their best year, and they sold more than 200 lunches in the three days it was offered. They also help with the heavy lifting.
Boys from the LUC Boys Ranch are hired to help set up all the tables and racks used, and they come back on Saturday and help take them down and put them away. In total, more than 100 volunteers, mostly church members, work each day, Monday through Friday, to help with the sale. A mid-morning snack and lunch are prepared for the workers each day, Monday through Friday.
Such a big event always has its stories. Some people plan their vacation around the event. Some travel a long ways to get there, even spending the night at a motel so they can shop for two days. This year a man came into the hat department and bought five very large sombreros to take on an airplane trip to help keep track of “his people.” He said it’s very hard to find everyone after you had a few drinks and he believed the hats would help him. Last year a pregnant woman was shopping while having contractions. This year she was back, with her one-year-old twins in tow.