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Base yard sale helps turn trash into treasure

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber E. N. Jacobs
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The Shaw community activity center held a base-wide yard sale near Highway 441 Aug. 11.

The yard sale was for Department of Defense card holders to sell their items and was open to the local community to shop at.

"It's an opportunity for the people on base to get rid of their things in a yard sale fashion in an off-base environment," said Jack Lonergan, 20th Force Support Squadron community activity center director. "It's also an opportunity for them to be in a mass area that is advertised and have people that live off base come buy their goods rather than just other people that live on base," he added.

The CAC offered tables to sellers for a fee of $10 per station.

We try to hold the yard sales three times a year as a way to make a little bit of money for the community center, said Lonergan. The money we make goes back into the community and helps pay for some of the programs the CAC offers while giving people an opportunity to get rid of some of their things and make a little bit of money off of it too, he continued.

The sale featured 23 tables and items ranging from baby clothes to kayaks to Japanese souvenirs.

"As military people travel they pick up things from all around the world," Lonergan explained. "It's an opportunity for you to pick up things that you're not going to find at the flea market."

While some of the sellers were there because they live on base, others wanted to get rid of items before they move.

"My husband and I have orders to Alaska and when we cleaned out our home, we realized that we have a lot of good stuff that we just didn't need anymore," said Staff Sgt. Stephani Fallis, 20th Fighter Wing Legal Office NCO of non-judicial punishment. "I think the yard sale is a great opportunity whether you're moving or not since it's kind of like the Airman's Attic. One man's trash is another man's treasure," Fallis added.

The next base-wide yard sale is scheduled for Oct. 6.

For more information call the Shaw community center at 803-895-3382 or go online to, www.20thfss.com.