Our garage sale was a huge $UCCE$$!
$8,845
(We'll have well over 9K after final Craigslist and eBay sales.)
We also donated 90 bags and boxes of clothes, etc. to Viet Nam Veterans and 2/3 truckload of furniture to victims of domestic violence.
Click to enlarge photos in gallery below.
As our supporters lined up on Neck Rd. to drop off vast quantities of donations, we sent out desperate pleas for more tables, more clothing racks, more volunteers, more cupcakes.... and the culmination of all that work and generosity was an epic garage sale that garnered Save Guana Now nearly $9,000.
We were overwhelmed with your dedication to the cause: stopping development on 99 acres of conservation land. And our cup runneth over to the benefit of many needy people who are served by Hubbard House and Viet Nam Veterans. Martha and John Denneen's garage was converted into an ad hoc boutique filled with racks of clothing. With table space at a premium, the tree in front of their house sprouted handbags while the remaining trees showcased mirrors, paintings and 5-foot tall brass rubbings from Europe.
Santas, witches and pilgrims co-existed on our holiday table. Books, music and tchotchkes galore ensured that no one left empty-handed. Kids wheeled and dealed with their allowance money and brought home bargains with great pride - rendering our planned activities completely unnecessary. The sale was the best kids' entertainment of all.
Gucci shoes and signed Swedish crystal were snapped up quickly, while less desirable items would be creatively recycled; we learned of plans to turn children's rockers into outdoor planters and denim jeans into quilts. A win for the environment!
The saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" was the theme of the day, as the massive purging of unwanted items became a gold rush for treasure-seekers.
Gearing up for the sale, Giff Crosby hung our sign at North Guana Outpost with Gary Coulliette who took a break from ladder-steadying to snap a pic. Eagle photo by Graham McGeorge. Below, volunteer extraordinaire Dotty Rashba rode with a trailer-full of goods on a short trip down Neck Rd.
Dotty's destination was the beautiful home of Martha and John Denneen who bravely volunteered their yard, driveway, garage and yummy baked goods for the sale. We owe them a huge thank you.
The wildlife behind their home on Lake Guana sent us a message of approval - pink spoonbills put in an appearance for the many supporters of natural habitat.
Click to enlarge more photos below.
After the massive clean-up Sunday afternoon (we extended the sale a second day), one lone object remained on the driveway - a tiny lion with a big roar - like us! We bequeathed it to Martha who will keep it until the celebration that we all hope to have someday when the Outpost property is protected in perpetuity. Until then, we'll keep on fighting . If you made a donation, a loan, a purchase and/or you volunteered, we owe YOU a huge thank you!
Thanks also to Palm Valley Publix for food and ice, Starbucks for coffee, and a huge thank you to Bakkar Group for a major donation of 12 large file cabinets which we sold on Craigslist.
See Ponte Vedra Recorder's story on our fundraiser here. Special thanks to Bob Davenport who took most of these great photos and to our volunteers not mentioned above: Al Aftoora who brought signers to our email list to 700, Wes Coddou and his wife Elizabeth who volunteered on her birthday, Laura Davis who also helped both days, Jimbo Kohnke who never misses an opportunity to support Save Guana Now, Rick Mansfield who manned the desk, Laura Chenore and her son Remington - a double whirlwind of energy, Julie DeSantis and Brenda Tatum who carried their weight - and more - on our moving day, Heidi Suzuki who supplied clothing racks and help, and many more helpers who should be listed here. Please remind us at info@SaveGuanaNow.org if your name was left off.
A happy ending: John Denneen gets his garage back! :-)
