By Dominique Bauthier, Scotland School Parent
Scotland Elementary School’s fifth grade will support a worthy cause with their “Biggest Tag Sale Ever” on Saturday, May 10. In honor of their beloved principal, Mark Solomon, who overcame cancer last fall and will be retiring this year, the students have decided to donate fifty percent of the event’s proceeds to Ann’s Place, an organization in Danbury that is devoted to the support, comfort and wellness of cancer patients and their families.
The children will sell gently used sports equipment, toys, games, books, housewares, furniture and tools.
Organizing the sale offers students an opportunity learn about community service, responsibility and the value of money. The students are very motivated to gather and price their items and will run their tables during the event. More than 30 families are set to take part in the sale.
Fifth graders at Scotland have earned over $10,000 for various charities over the course of the past few years and hope that this year will be just as successful. “It’s a great way for our kids to give back,” said Cheryl Osher, a fifth grade teacher at the school. “Our kids appreciate that they have more than enough and are excited about donating their own time and money to help others.”
The students are working hard to make the sale a success. “I’m driving my parents crazy,” admitted fifth grader Maya Peck. “I keep nagging them to go through all their things to see what we can put on sale. When they tell me they’re still using something, I remind them it’s for charity.”
Fifth grade parent, Rayda Krell, has also been harassed. ”Since Christmas, every time I prepare a box of items to donate, my son reminds me to save them for the school tag sale! It's great to see his enthusiasm about the sale, but I have to say, I'm ready to get these items out of my attic!”
This year the choice of charity was easy for the participants. Last summer, Mr. Solomon was diagnosed with cancer and he underwent surgery at the start of the school year. Mr. Solomon was fortunate that his brush with the disease was relatively simple, but for many the battle with cancer can be long and arduous.
Ann’s Place, located on Saw Mill Road in Danbury, supports and comforts cancer patients and their families by providing counseling, support groups, wellness activities and complementary therapies.
The organization will also be receiving a share of the profits of the food sold at the event. Anna Llanos, of Mothership Bakery and Cafe in Danbury, who is also a cancer survivor, will be selling food and baked goods at the event and contributing to the charity.
All items not sold during the tag sale will be donated to the Salvation Army.
The “Biggest Tag Sale Ever” will be held on May 10, 2014, 8:00am-2:00pm on the Scotland campus, at 111 Barlow Mountain Road. Rain or Shine.
