Massive yard sale promises to have something for everyone
The biggest garage/yard sale in the Okanagan will look the same as in previous years for bargain hunters, but a different group benefits from the proceeds.
For the past decade, the huge sale at Kelowna’s St. Charles Garnier Church on Benvoulin has raised money to allow Bicycles for Humanity to pay for shipping of bicycles to Ghana.
The African country has recently imposed import duties on used bicycles, making it financially impossible to give bikes to local farmers, nurses and students. In addition, the group’s longtime contact in Ghana has retired.
This means Bicycles for Humanity, which started in Kelowna and has spread to six countries with dozens of chapters, will lose its connection to its founding city.
The sale takes place at 3645 Benvoulin Rd. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. It includes automobiles, boats, furniture, appliances, bicycles, tools, sporting goods — nearly everything except books and clothes.
Sale items will cover the lawn in front and in back of the church and will fill the main hall inside, so it is not weather dependent.
As always, bikes are a big part of the sale. Some donated bikes go to Guatemala, some will be given away at the sale, many will be distributed to struggling families in Kelowna and some will be sold on Saturday.
High-end bikes and other expensive items are sold in a silent-auction format with a twist.
Any buyer who meets a suggested sale price can take the item away immediately. Otherwise, bidding ends at 3 p.m. and best bid below the asking price gets the item.
Funds from the sale now go to a church group that supports the local poor in Kelowna. Many of them will be helping out at the sale. Money also goes to help refugee families in Kelowna.
Donated items worth at least $10, such as summer sporting goods (except golf clubs) can be dropped off any Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, behind the church, next to a Canadian flag. They can even be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. the day before the sale. Donations can include bikes, but not books, clothes or particle-board furniture.
For more information, contact Keith Germaine at 250-764-2942.