SPRING RUMMAGE SALE " SPRING RUMMAGE SALE – MAY 2022 – What a wonderful event , with support and dedication from so many at Grace and throughout our community. “Thank you’s” to the many who had accumulated and saved your donations. We were spread out on Grace property: clothing, shoes, purses, etc. were staged under the pavilion – coordinated by Cathy Whiteside. The garage area displayed our ‘outdoor related’ items and some furniture: coordinated by Linda Smykowski. Jewelry and fine collectibles area in Fellowship Hall: coordinated by Margaret Swanson and Suzanne Girsch. The rest of Fellowship Hall was for household items (thank you Twyla and Debbie who came early and organized fabrics, bedding, linens, etc.) and one SS room was used for children’s equipment, toys, and games (thank you Helen, Cara and Ian for helping earlier in the week to organize this room!). Utilizing so many areas, allowed many shoppers to casually peruse + shop. (**there was even space out on the property for the Boy Scouts to have a campout!) The weather cooperated, tho quite warm for the beginning of May! I am certainly appreciative and proud of all of your support and assistance from many of our members with the numerous tasks before, during and after the sale. Some pre set-up in Fellowship Hall by the Scouts after their meeting on Monday night, followed by other volunteers Ian Engberg, Cara Turner, Twyla Strom, Debbie Brown, Cathy Whiteside, Karen Patterson, Marty & Craig Bradley, Lee Gerke, Dianne (Gerke) Lily, Chris Gerke, Jon Whiteside, Helen Gruber, Nancy Corbige + Danny, Linda Smykowski , Dottie & Paul Mantsch, Nancy Schnaitman, Kathy Hooey, Pat & Lee Eineke, John Verner, Kurt Redemann, Pat Penfold and Gloria Theros. Sale signs were set up/placed by Bill + Lori U’Ren, Casey Engberg, Heidi Anderson, Dottie & Paul Mantsch. The success of this sale comes from a church-wide effort with all of your ‘material’ donations and contributions along with your time and talents. (** I apologize as I may have missed a name or two – but try to track the willing hands that are with us during the plethora of sale tasks each day). Special note of thanks to the several members who stepped up at the last minute and loaded their cars with some leftovers on Sunday – making their way to Salvation Army. Our gracious thanks to Cathy Whiteside ( please greet her with your thanks!) who continues to coordinate several avenues and charities before and after the sale, taking clothing items that are very welcomed : select items taken to Lord of Life in Schaumburg to help make LWR Quilts and layettes (in hopes that some of their handmade items, made with love and prayers, will reach some Ukraine refugees too) , Redeemer Fellowship Church (St Charles) , Elgin Homeless, Pastor Anna-Kari Johnson’s outreach in Chicago and small items to be used to fill some Operation Christmas Shoeboxes. So many of you reading this report were a part of this sale, in big and small ways, from donating items (and we don’t always know who the donors were) to volunteering at the sale. It is gratifying to see so many helping hands. I was exhilarated (yes, even at the end of the sale) by the clean-up help - we’re getting this down to an efficient routine. I feel so blessed that so many of you dedicated time out of your schedules, to help with this fundraiser for Grace (I take off 2 days of work, but maybe I need to take 3 days!). I would not be able to coordinate these sales without all of you – “rumors” I have heard that some of you have had fun with this event as well 😊!! Our shoppers were given a Grace flyer and welcomed them to visit Grace for worship (we had a visitor return on Sunday morning.) Our 2- day sale netted just over $4,600 – I believe this to be our highest dollar amount raised at one sale. We continue with some on-line ads and sales and have exceeded the goal for our targeted mid-year budget. These funds help our finances as we are incurring building maintenance expenses. I thankfully pray for all of the support that so many of you have given – many hands to make the tasks at hand run smoothly and provide a very successful fundraiser. In Peace, from Your Fellow Grace Member, Tricia Painter, Rummage Sale Coordinator (**tentatively looking at Oct 7 & 8 for our Autumn Sale**)