BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — It's 7:30 a.m. on Bainbridge Island, and this crowd is gathered...for a rummage sale.
A man on a megaphone yells:
"Who's running this morning? You guys are in charge of keeping everybody around you safe. We don't want anybody getting hurt this morning."
Every year, thousands of bargain hunters line up for the treasures behind caution tape, waiting for the sale to open. Some have wagons for their hauls, some bring wheel barrows.
"It's pure insanity. You have to be careful to move out of the way because people will mow you down. They absolutely will," said a woman in charge of security for the event.
They're looking for everything from books, to sporting goods, to American Girl Dolls. And there's one other thing everyone is here for:
"Tradition! And the cause. It's a good cause," declared one of the folks waiting.
The cause is the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club -- this sale raises money for scholarships, community grants, and service projects.
Today, 6-acre Woodward Middle School is packed with everything from kitsch to, yes, kitchen sinks.
And volunteers are ready to sell.
"He said I wouldn't get $20 for this foosball table -- I'll get $350 for this foosball table because it's the best foosball table in America!" said one eager Rotarian. Another, in a hat made of astroturf with a tiny putting green flag on top, is set to sell dozens of sets of used golf club. Yet another, working in books, sports a red and white striped Cat-in-the-Hat Hat.
"I've been working on my meow. But it scares the little kids," he laughed
Another tradition -- the National Anthem plays over the loudspeaker. And when the final notes wrap up, the tape comes down, and the race to the bargains begins.
After the mad rush, one man's junk becomes another man's treasure hundreds of times over.
2023 marks the 63rd year for this mighty rummage sale and auction, and it has raised millions of dollars for the community over the years. But the real wealth had nothing to do with money and everything to do with giving things away.
The 2023 Bainbridge Island Rotary Auction and Rummage Sale is 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat, July 8th at Woodward Middle School (9125 Sportsman Club Rd NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110).
PRO TIP: Customers will begin to wait at the school entrances several hours before 8 a.m. Each department will accept payments by cash, check, and credit card.
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