Minturn rummage Sale truly gives back to Vail Valley

Organization name: Eagle Valley Community Fund Auction and Rummage Sale

Executive Director/president: Vi Brown

Location: Maloit Park, south of Minturn

Phone number: 970-476-5701, 970-926-0577 and 970-827-9624

Web address: http://www.eaglevalleyrummagesale.com

Hours: Volunteers and donations are needed every day except Sundays, through Aug. 5, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Sale dates and hours: Saturday, Aug. 15, from 6:45 a.m.-5 p.m. (auction begins at 8:45 a.m.); Sunday, Aug. 16, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Everything is half price during the second weekend of the sale, which is Saturday, Aug. 22, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 23, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Years in business: 45

What is the organization’s mission and who benefits from its work?

More than 60 local nonprofit organizations benefit from the hours that volunteers work to sort donations that are gathered throughout the year – it is a giant recycling and volunteer effort.

Where does your funding come from?

All the proceeds of the sale are distributed to local nonprofit groups, depending upon the number of hours volunteers put in sorting and marking all the sale items. More than $180,000 in gross sales are generated from the four-day event.

How many staff members work for you?

Only one person is paid; the board of directors is made up of all volunteers.

What are the biggest challenges facing the organization right now?

We are open after Labor Day each year for donations, but this year our donations, particularly of furniture, have not been as numerous as in past years.

Anything else you’d like the community to know about the organization?

This is one of the oldest nonprofit groups in the Eagle Valley, having been established just two years after Vail’s ski area opened. It has had many homes since its inception, but now has a permanent location in Maloit Park. The facility was a former school building, which is transformed into a 14-room discount department store for the four-day sale.

Individual rooms are filled with books, shoes, toys, linens, ski and snowboard equipment, household items, computers, small appliances, men’s, women’s, infants and children’s clothing, artwork, sports equipment and Televisions. The entire back tented area is filled with furniture, bicycles and other miscellaneous items. On the first day of the event, there is an auction, silent auction and bake sale. Lunch is served all but the final day of the sale.

Contact Community Editor Lauren Glendenning at lglendenning@vaildaily.com or 970-748-2983.