By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Brandon Twp.- One of the area’s largest annual yard sales won’t take place this year.

The Ortonville Community Emergency Fund’s Rummage Sale has been cancelled for 2016.

“Due to expansion, the sale has gotten so big and is so well-received, but we don’t have the volunteers needed to do this in the best way possible,” said Karyn Milligan, OCEF food pantry director and St. Anne Christian Services coordinator. “Sadly, our co-chairs we’ve had all these years have stepped down and we have no management for a management position.”

Sue Roberts and Suzy Fluck started the tradition more than a decade ago, accepting donations of various items including household goods, furniture, clothes, toys, books, baby gear, tools and more, all to be put on sale at St. Anne Church in a 2-day event every September. All proceeds from the sale were used to benefit the OCEF food pantry and on average, the sale garnered $10,000 or more annually for the charity that serves about 180 low-income families in the Brandon School District.

The sale is a nice boost to OCEF during what is otherwise a slow time for donations. Milligan said she never thought the sale would continue for more than 10 years, but she appreciates the support of the community and hopes that someone will step forward to chair the sale or perhaps multiple individuals will work together as co-chairs so the event can return in 2017.

Chairpersons would organize a few hundred volunteers, determine what items will be accepted and make other decisions, and advertise the event to the community. Milligan notes the event takes months of planning and is executed over the course of six days in September, with item drop-offs taken on Monday, pricing done on a Tuesday, a preview sale on Wednesday and then the regular sale held on a Thursday and Friday. On that Saturday, leftover items are taken to a recycling center.

“This year is definitely out, but we need to plan for next year,” said Milligan. “We hope we can bring it back. You may be doing your spring cleaning, but please don’t bring anything to St. Anne, we aren’t having our sale this year.”

To learn how you can help chair a 2017 Rummage Sale effort to benefit OCEF, call Margaret Lee, OCEF treasurer, at 248-627-3965, ext. 102.