The Michigan Daily - Saturday, February 16, 1985 - Page 7

T HE BIG
S A L E
Oh, the thrill and challenge of the annual
Kiwanis Sale! It's the center of attention in
February for the professional second-hand
shopper. People from all walks of life trek
out to the Kiwanis Club on First St. to find
bargains on anything from bowling shoes to
baby blankets.
The sale was organized by members and
friends of the Ann Arbor Kiwanis Club and
ran February 7, 8, and 9. Thursday mor-
ning, shoppers got an early start on the
busiest day of the sale. Kiwanian James
Morgan said the lines from the door stret-
ched down to the end of the block and
around Washington Street under the
viaduct. By 10:30 a.m., half an hour after
the doors opened, the club's three floors
were jam-packed. The Fire Marshall or-
dered that no more shoppers be let into the
building until others began to leave.
Movement was difficult as shoppers
pushed and squeezed to reach for anything
they could get their hands on. "Shirts and
socks were flying through the air, Morgan
said. "People come and think the best stuff
is at the bottom of the pile, so they..." he
chuckled, moving his arms up and down in
the air.
Despite the crowds, the sale is great fun.
It's a place to be seen and see others. Chic
new wavers, University professors, deter-
mined moms with their kids, and quiet
bachelors are all on equal footing, as bodies
shift and vie for a, look at that unique item.

The sale is a great place to meet little people for Clara Han (left) and M

You can't ask for friendlier help then you
get from the scores of volunteers at the sale.
With endless patience, Sally Springer
brings out glassware and bric-a-brac from
the shelves behind her counter. She and the
other volunteers cluck and coo over mat-
ching creamers and sugar bowls, suggest
creative uses for strange items, and smile
all the time.
They have good reason to smile. Each
year they raise a good deal of cash. They
year's totals are at $62,000, "and still coun-
ting," Morgan said. The funds to go com-
munity projects like. Mott Children's
Hospital, Motor Meals, and others. What
isn't sold is donated to charity.
The Freedom Center in Detroit's
Hispanic section and the Capuchin Soup
Kitchen take truckloads of clothing for the
needy in the Motor City. Last year, the
Polish-American Alliance sent a ton and a
half of clothes left over from the sale to
Poland. Morgan said his club still receives
letters of thanks from Polish recipients.
The sale is fun for the Kiwanians because
it's a gigantic reunion of old and new mem-
bers, wives, and friends. Mike Root's father
(now deceased) was a member of the club.
Mike limped around with a broken leg, but
said he would work in the dish department
to "help the ladies who can't lift the heavy
boxes." He remembers how, as a kid he'd
work with his mom in the toy section. "I
used to sit under the tables and play with
all the toys," he said. And James Morgan is
filled with stores of sales from back in the
1940s. "If you don't have fun when you come
here," he says with a laugh, "go home!"

Mike Root relaxes in the volunteer lounge.

An experienced shopper still looks for bargains.

.-._ X44- ",