The Legion Yard Sale was a great success last Saturday! From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. we brought together donated treasures longing for a new home and a few local crafters plus food (donated by Hannaford) under the big top (donated by Ralph of Mine Oyster) for a day of community fun and fellowship.  I would like to thank everyone who came and bought things they just couldn’t live without which added up to about $2,000! These monies go right back to the community in the form of educational scholarships. Yard Sales of this size are hard work requiring lots of volunteers. Our volunteers weren’t just American Legion members, but also Auxiliary and others who just wanted to help. I do want to give a special thanks to a couple of folks. First, a big thanks Tom and Cathy Moroney. Tom was in charge of this year’s Yard Sale and did a great job ensuring all the things that had to get done were done when they needed to be. And Cathy was tireless as a team lead getting all the items stored at the Legion to the Common and laid out on Friday (sunrise to sunset) and on Saturday, working the Yard Sale as a seller and after the event, packing and moving the stuff not sold to where it had to go; again, from sunrise to after dark. Working side by side with Tom and Cathy was their niece, Jessica DePriest.  

Another big thanks to Ron and Millie Edwards who led the effort of laying out the items, determining pricing on certain items, an effort that took most of the day, both Friday and Saturday. Of course, lots of thanks to Doug Long, Chris Goodwin, Chris Armstead, Al Sirois, Joel Morley, Jim Singer, Jim Main, Robin Ford, Suzanne Harmon, Bobbie Metal and Pam Reed who all came to help out. We couldn’t have had a successful yard sale without them.

For those who wonder what happens to things that didn’t sell, yes, a few things did go to the “pick pile” at the Transfer Station, but a trailer full of household items went to the Elks Storage units in Augusta that will go to homeless veterans moving to their new (well, not so new) unfurnished apartments and other veterans in need; some went to a non-profit Stepping Stone Housing in Damariscotta that provides, among other things, items to those in need in the community for free.  

So, this yard sale provided funds for our scholarship program, support for our veterans in need, and to all folks in need in the community! We are already starting to think about what events we can do next year to support our youth, veterans, and the community.  

If you are a veteran and want to join us, just talk to one of our members or call the Hall at 633-4487. If you are a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter of a veteran, you can also join the team as a Sons of the American Legion (SAL) with the Department of Maine American Legion Sons Squadron or our local Auxiliary Unit 36.  The Auxiliary, by the way, is open to men and women and our Unit 36 has one spouse of a Post 36 member.