Clothing, household goods, produce, more bring crowds to Summer Garage Sale

Nearly 1,000 attendees flooded the Osage Centre early Saturday to snag deals of all shapes, sizes and prices from more than 70 vendor booths during the Summer Garage Sale.

Osage Centre facility manager Chad Unterreiner said proceeds from the day benefit the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, which include the $1 entrance fee and $15 booth fee.

The city hosts four garage sales a year, Unterreiner said, with the next one scheduled for November being dubbed �Double the Deal.� That one is �usually the busiest garage sale,� he said, with booth spots available at the Osage Centre and Shawnee Park Center in Cape Girardeau.

�We have about 75 booths we can house here, so about a month before, we will have a drawing with all the names in a hat, and we draw them out one at a time,� Unterreiner said.

Cape Girardeau native Brenda Brown was in attendance for her sixth year, representing the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri with multiple booths.

Everything on the tables and clothing racks, Brown said, was �not all pet related,� but were mostly items donated by the shelter�s patrons.

Brown said the event is a �win-win,� with all money earned going straight to assisting the animals at the shelter, and �it stays local.�

Lily Brust from Illinois decided to peddle produce from her personal garden at this year�s event, dissimilar to many other nearby tables jam-packed with household items, clothing and sports memorabilia.

�I do this one every year,� Brust said. �And I spend the money on Christmas for my kids and grandkids.�

Potential buyer Robbie Bills of Jackson already had her hands full of other purchased treasures as she browsed Brust�s assortment of produce.

�I just moved up this way last year, but I came out last year,� she said. �I bought clothing and household things.�

Dolly Jewel and Geneva Allen-Patterson also were in attendance Saturday, representing Church Women United for the first time at the garage sale.

Church Women United, Jewel said, is a national ecumenical Christian women�s organization that includes churches in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Gordonville.

Proceeds from their earnings will go toward a nursing scholarship fund through the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology School, Jewel and Allen-Patterson explained.

�And usually it�s a single mom that we seek, because we want her to have a profession that�s going to sustain her,� Jewel said.

After experiencing a busy morning, Jewel said they �will probably� set up again at the next Osage Centre-hosted garage sale.

�I think we will. It will help with our scholarship fund,� Allen-Patterson added. �It�s a great benefit.�

And nothing from the day goes unwanted, explained Unterreiner. Any items unsold by close of the event are donated to Teen Challenge of Southeast Missouri, he said.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632