MV Yard Sale Yields Treasures

By LAURA ROBISON

The Progress

Residents and visitors alike crowded Moapa Valley neighborhoods and roadways last weekend in search of treasures at the annual community-wide yard sale.

The event brought shoppers from throughout the region to rifle through the wars at 22 different locations listed on a yard sale map, compiled by the Moapa Valley Rotary Club. There were also many more signs out for people who had missed the deadline for getting on the map.

Those putting on yard sales reported that, at times, there were a frenzy of ‘yard-salers’ looking for things they never knew they needed. Items for sale included clothing, furniture, toys, games, holiday decorations, ATVs, automobiles, trailers, household items, kitchen items, appliances, tools, collectibles, baby items, ceramic villages, and more.

There were even a couple of charity fundraiser sales going on in town. The St. John’s Catholic Church was selling Mexican food at the church to raise money for roof repairs needed on the building. Maria Sandoval, church office secretary said, “Our Mexican food included breakfast burritos: Chorizo, eggs, and potatoes on a flour tortilla; and we also had steak tacos with rice and beans, our famous and delicious pork tamales, red & green salsas and Pico de Gallo. We had a very successful day both in our Yard sale and Mexican food sale.”

In another fundraising spectacular, the Danielle Terril family had a huge yard sale selling mountains of items that had been donated by local residents to the cause. All proceeds of this sale went to help pay healthcare-related expenses for Danielle Terril, who is undergoing aggressive treatment for stomach cancer. This fundraiser also included raffles for great prizes, a bake sale, and silent auctions.

At the Terril fundraiser, the community showed up to help with money. But there were also plenty of volunteers who gave time throughout the weekend to sort and organize everything that had been donated. Many helping hands spent weeks putting the fundraiser together, seeking donations and items for raffles and silent auctions.

Nadene Mackert brought her two sons and attended the Terril yard sale, “I came for the cause and to buy raffle tickets,” she said.

Jeff and Jolynn Keel were also at the same location and found some beautiful dresses for their granddaughters. “I have known Danielle since high school,” said Jolynn. “We wanted to come and support her and her family.”

Danielle’s mother Deanna Sommers, was greeting people while working at the raffle prize table. She became emotional with appreciation for the generositsy of the Moapa Valley community.

“I am overwhelmed at the support of our daughter and my family,” Sommers said. “A friend told me, ‘In Moapa Valley when something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.’ The love, time and donations have meant the world to us. I will spend the rest of my life paying it forward I thought I knew what generosity was, but I wasn’t even close!”

Sommers also mentioned that all the homemade items for the bake sale sold out on Friday. To keep the effort going on the second day of the sale, many of the ladies who were in charge of the bake sale went home Friday night and made more treats to sell again the next day, she said.