Get ready for garage sales

From 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. May 17 many Grain Valley residents will participate in a citywide garage sale. It is an event that most people around here look forward to every year. In fact, there are individuals who plan their vacations around citywide garage sales.

This is something that Melanie Hollinsworth remembers fondly about growing up here in Grain Valley. Hollinsworth is a school-bus driver for the Grain Valley Public Schools and runs a small business from her Grain Valley home. She was born and raised here.

Now she has her own family and is trying to do her part in keeping GV traditions alive.

About three years ago Hollinsworth read a new article submitted by the GV Chamber of

Commerce concerning the citywide garage sale. Anyone interested in taking over the responsibilities was encouraged to call.

Because of those fond memories, which include community members getting involved, walking around, and visiting with one another, she decided to make the call to find out exactly what was happening with one of her favorite events. Hollinsworth called and spoke with Jerry Vaughn, who was the director of the Chamber of Commerce at the time.

With that phone call she learned that about half of the members of the Chamber did not want to continue sponsoring the garage sale. To end the battle a decision was made.

The Chamber of Commerce would no longer sponsor the long-lived tradition.
 
After a few weeks of serious thought she made a second phone call to the Chamber and spoke with Vaughn again. Still nobody else had volunteered to take on the big job of planning and organizing the event. Determined not to let the citywide garage sale become a part of Grain Valley history. She took on the job.

This will be her third year in charge of the event. Two years ago, 38 families had registered to have garage sales over the weekend. Last year the number was a little closer to 50. She is looking forward to more participation this year.

“I truly believe the garage sale is a feather in our cap,” she said. “It gets our name out and draws people into the community.”

There is just one area that she is having trouble with.

“Since the Chamber quit sponsoring the event we have not come close to the amount of advertising that they did,” she said. If any individual or business would like to donate their time or copies of the maps containing a list of registered garage sales, please call Melanie Hollinsworth at 816-547-4978.