Perfect Day for a Yard Sale!!

On Saturday, October 10th, “rise and shine” came at 4:30am. We all agreed that we needed to get an early start in preparation for the 7:00am yard sale. The air was VERY crisp, but with hot Starbucks coffees in hand we were able to stay warm and be somewhat functional. With TREMENDOUS EFFORTS of our friends, we were ready for business right at 7am.

Sharply at 7am, we had our first customer! A quick looker on a mission for certain books. Unfortunately, we didn’t have it in stock at this sale. Rats! Then, minutes of silence – I think we could hear the crickets. I had a flashback to the silence at Denio’s and I started to panic. “Would this be a total flop? Would people stop by?” It must have been the “calm before the storm”, as minutes after these thoughts swirled through my head…

The crowds appeared!! We had a steady stream of people for almost 3 hours. Even people driving a moving van came to the yard sale, snatching up “big ticket items” left and right. By 11:00am, we were completed depleted of strollers, exersaucers, and many toys. By the time we wrapped up (2:00ish), we were blown away…

to realize that we raised $706.00!! We had a target of $350 - $400. We completely exceeded the expectations of the yard sale!! We were absolutely thrilled with the outcome!!

Not only was the yard sale a success, but we met several amazing special needs parents. These parents shared very sensitive, personal, and emotional stories with us. We felt a very special connection to each of these parents and hope to have future correspondence with them.

Additionally, we made a concerted effort to further raise awareness in our community. We provided flyers, web site details, and shared our own personal experiences and inspirations. We were encouraged to hear that many people were interested in making a difference including supporting Love, Olivia efforts during the holidays.

We are happy to advise that half of the yard sale proceeds will go directly to Malaysia Miller’s family. (Malaysia’s inspirational story and picture are listed below). The other half will go directly into the Love, Olivia charity to support other special needs families.