By Chris Frost
Eagle Times Correspondent
CLAREMONT, NH — The Croydon Ladies Auxiliary Bingo team and area vendors held a successful yard sale on Saturday, September 30.
The group holds weekly Bingo events with proceeds benefitting the Claremont Soup Kitchen, Turning Point, the Senior Center in Newport, and its food pantry.
President Sandy Beard said each of the six vendors brought a little bit of everything to the sale.
“This is our second yard sale this year,” she said. “You never know what you’re going to find until you start looking around, which is fun.”
She said Bingo is going well, and many people come to compete for prizes and enjoy the camaraderie.
“I change the game schedule every once in a while, and on Thursday, October 4, we’ll have a brand new game schedule,” she said.
The vendors play Bingo, and she said they set up for free at the yard sale.
Beard always looks to add new non-profits in Claremont and Newport to help.
“I need to know they’re a non-profit 501c3 organization, their mailing address, and what they do for the community,” she said.
Allie and Kennedy Beard brought girls’ clothes and toys for young kids.
“I have a little bit of household items and have some bracelets for my nephew, who was diagnosed with leukemia in June,” Allie said. “This is a fun family thing to do together.”
She also planned to sell her husband’s stereo and beer mugs.
“He’s here,” she said.
Debra Searles plays Bingo with the Croyden Ladies Bingo Auxiliary and decided to clean out her storage.
“I’m getting rid of two houses’ worth of stuff,” she said. “This is the second yard sale we’ve done this month; I sold a lot at the first one and still have a lot here.”
She said all her proceeds would fund more Bingo playing.
“I’m a Halloween nut; I could have, but I didn’t bring any of my Halloween stuff,” Searles said. “I love socializing at the Croyden Ladies Auxiliary, and you get to see people you don’t get to see all the time. It’s a lot of fun.”
June Erno brought outgrown clothes and hats, dishcloths, and comforters she’s made and doesn’t need.
“I’m trying to clean out the household,” she said. “I’m going to bring the money back here to play more Bingo. My grandson had over 70 t-shirts, kept 50, and gave me the others to get rid of. The clothes I’ve outgrown and the hats I made and want to let other people enjoy them.”
She loves seeing all the people playing Bingo.
“It’s a good day of getting out,” she said.
Sandra Goodson’s table asks shoppers to make her a reasonable offer for her items.
“I believe in helping people as much as I can, which is a good thing,” she said. “I’d rather give it to you instead of it sitting in the closet forever.”
She decided to get rid of her single-serve coffee maker.
“I like having a full pot when I’m ready to have one,” she said. “The Bingo people are nice, and I do come and play every now and again.”
Shopper Judy St. Pierre is part of the Croyden Bingo group and happily participated in the yard sale.
“I’m looking at earrings,” she said. “I have a lot of earrings at home. I love the atmosphere (when playing Bingo). It’s not crowded, and it’s something I gravitate to, and at my age, interaction is very important.”
For more information, visit the Croydon Ladies Auxiliary Bingo page on Facebook.
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