The University YMCA held its 12th annual Dump and Run fundraiser in efforts to reduce litter and consumer waste in Urbana-Champaign at the University of Illinois Stock Pavilion on Aug. 24 and 25.
The fundraiser provides collection boxes every year while students are moving out at the end of spring semester, in which students and the community can donate their unwanted goods to the YMCA. The two-day garage sale is to raise money and reduce landfill waste.
Kasey Umland, University YMCA program director, said the fundraiser had raised more than $12,000 this year. Umland said the fundraiser began when a secretary noticed the attic of the YMCA was crowded with unused goods and had heard about a similar fundraiser and believed it would be a great idea to start one on campus.
She said the fundraiser is not only a good way to raise money, but also a good way to provide international students at the University with cheap goods. She said she has heard of many international students who come to the University with only one suitcase, and this fundraiser helps to reduce their spending costs when they arrive on campus.
Julie Carlson, a recent graduate from the University and volunteer at the Dump and Run, said she was a Bailey Scholar at the YMCA when she considered helping out.
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“I transferred to the University my sophomore year and lived in the dorms for my first semester and was overwhelmed with the amount of things that people don’t need or throw away that are perfectly good,” she said. “I heard about this last year and thought it was a great way to recycle.”
Carlson said on Saturday, people were lined up past the street before the sale had opened to the public. She said most of the goods were furniture, clothing and homeware.
After 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Dump and Run had its free sale where goods without price tags were available for anyone until 4 p.m. Between those hours, there had been approximately 65 to 70 people still shopping.
You Xai, a sophomore in Engineering, was shopping for free apartment goods and said this was his second year attending the Dump and Run. Xai said he donated last year and highly recommends people to attend.
Stephanie can be reached at [email protected].
