Community garage sale to benefit teens' Underground
What's the best part of having a garage sale? Getting money for getting rid of your unwanted odds-and-ends. What's the worst part? Well, besides lugging all that stuff up from the basement and down from the attic, most folks would say running around town tacking up garage sale signs and putting ads in the paper are equally troublesome tasks.
Wouldn't it be nice to have someone who would handle all those advertising and promotional tasks for you? Someone who would run an ad in all the local papers, furnish you with bright, colorful signs - even list your garage sale on a map for all to see?
Well, that's just what the St. Charles Park District plans to do during its "Community Garage Sale," scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 17-18.
The event is a fundraiser benefiting the STC Underground, the popular community teen center operated by the St. Charles Park District in the Baker Community Center. The teen center, which opened in 2001, serves students in sixth to 12th grades. Filled with recreational and educational opportunities, such as computer terminals, game systems, and lounge areas with TVs, DVD and stereo systems, the Underground is a place St. Charles' teens can call their own - a place where they can meet their friends, hang out and just be themselves.
"Admission to the Underground is free to students within District 303's boundaries," said Sean Warren, teen recreation supervisor. Although the center often receives donations from many community groups, it was looking for a way to conduct some direct fundraising efforts of its own.
For a $20 fee, St. Charles city and township residents can register their garage sale as part of the citywide promotion. The park district then includes the homeowner's garage sale location on a promotional guide that will be distributed throughout the community and posted on the park district's teen Web site, www.stcunderground.com.
"This works just like any other garage sale in that you set your own prices and keep all your profits," says Warren. "And we take care of everything else for you."
In addition to being listed on the promotional guide, garage sale participants receive a signage package, which includes a yard sign and bright, eye-catching balloons to attract visitors. The park district also works with local newspapers to advertise the garage sale.
The ads will not list an individual homeowner's address, but will inform people about the free promotional guide, which lists all garage sale locations.
Deadline for early registration is Friday, April 10. For information, call the STC Underground at (630) 584-4380 or visit www.stcunderground.com.