The League launched its newest public fundraiser event on Sunday, Oct. 1 – Bargain Bash: Omaha’s Best Blowout Rummage Sale. The weekend event at Ralston Arena kicked-off with a ticket-purchase-only pre-party event in a cocktail party setting for a first chance at the premium items. League Members Megan Riebe Reay and Gwen Olney were the lucky participants in the first-ever Bash Dash competition. They each were given 45 seconds to run into the product aisles and fill a tote with as many items as they could pack in.

Sunday’s public sale from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. began with attendees waiting for the doors to open. League member Gwen Olney shared, “I was excited to see the positive response from the community! There was a long line of shoppers waiting for the event to open! There were great bargains to be had, but it was also a wonderful community exchange.” The League welcomed approximately 400 Bargain Bash attendees throughout the day and completed 308 transactions. While clothing and jewelry at the staged ’boutique’ was popular, top selling products were definitely home décor and knick-knacks. Public sale attendee feedback included:

“Great selection!”

“You are all so nice!”

“Great staff to cover questions and explain pricing”

“When is this happening again?”

Donations from League members and the community began in June. More than 5,000 items ranging from adult and children’s clothing, baby supplies, home décor, holiday items, furniture and more were sorted, stored and priced in preparation for Bargain Bash weekend. Donations exceeded expectations and the storage unit was quickly filled to the brim!

A new tradition was started by gifting a unique, unpurchased item to the sitting League president. Vice Chair Ande Johnson presented Megan Riebe Reay with a life-sized witch named Gladys at the October General Membership Meeting.

The League paid it forward by giving un-purchased items to community organizations including, a collection of warm clothing went to a local emergency room, women’s clothing went to the Women’s Center for Advancement and all other items went to Goodwill Industries. Bargain Bash sponsors were Johnson Roofing, Hawkins Foundation, Esther’s and ConAgra Brands.

“The Bargain Bash Committee was thrilled how well our first year turned out. It was great to see League’s donations be restored and sold to members of the entire Omaha community,” shared Bargain Bash Committee Chair Kate Pitschka

The League looks forward to growing this event and finding new ways to make this community rummage sale an even bigger bash. The committee has already received interest in the collection of new donations for 2018. Congratulations to the committee and League members on a successful inaugural event that raised more than $10,000 for the League’s community projects and training initiatives!

CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PHOTO GALLERY TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT!

2017 Bargain Bash Fun Facts:

• Most Unique Item Donated: A horse statue that went for $150. It was from a famous artist. Also, a full 12 piece Lenox China set from a Sustainer
• Number of Attendees: About 400 attended the public sale
• Most Common Item Donated: Clothing or glassware
• Most Common Item Purchased: Home decor and knick-knacks
• Highest/Lowest Priced Item Donated: Highest priced item was the large copier Breanne Ewing donated. We ended up selling for $500. Lowest priced items were the free scraps of materials that people all loved and took
• Volunteer Hours/Number of Volunteers: We had 57 volunteers during the weekend totaling 174 hours
• Number of Items Donated: More than 5,000 items donated were donated in this inaugural event
• Estimated Money Raised: Sept. 30 pre-sale — $2,780 | Oct. 1  — $7,430
• Total Number of Transactions: 394