If Mother’s Day falls during “rummage week,” brunch at home may be postponed for the Menn-Erwin clan. Each year, the women in the family work the Winnetka Congregational Church rummage sale, held the second Thursday of May. This year, that’s Thursday.
“We tell our employers we need time off this time every year,” said Jacquie Erwin, a teacher who lives in Culver, Ind. Erwin joins her sister, daughters, daughter-in-law and nieces from across the country (most are former Winnetka residents).
Even her 90-year-old mom, Katherine Menn, joins them.
“We help set up the week before and help run the sale,” Erwin said. “We buy things, too, of course! At night, we go back to our hotel rooms and tell each other, ‘Love it’ or, ‘Love you too much to let you be seen in public with that.’ “
Launched in 1902, the sale, held at Winnetka Community House, takes about 450 volunteers to sort the array of donated goods.
The sale raises about $220,000 a year for 45 social service agencies. It’s eco-friendly, too, said Beth Maentz of Winnetka, one of the event’s co-chairs.
“The sale gives people a chance to re-purpose things they can’t use,” she said, adding that in addition to the funds raised, “about 10 social service agencies take the unsold goods to either sell or find people who can use them.”
The sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka. wccrummage.com or 847-446-0575.
