Most people have garage sales to clear out their closets and make a few bucks over the course of a weekend.
The 12th St. Albert Scouts are taking over an area adjacent to the King of Kings Lutheran Church for a full month as they hope to sell a ton of quality second-hand stuff from across the city. Their goal: raise enough cash to send 17 of their members to the upcoming World Jamboree in Japan in July, The cost is upward of $5,000 per person.
If you ask Daniel Sande, chair of the garage sale committee, it's a worthy cause for a once in a lifetime experience for some hardworking city youths. The 19-year-old knows how valuable a trip to a World Jamboree is, after attending the event in 2011 in Sweden.
"It was absolutely phenomenal!" he exclaimed. "You got the hustle and bustle of 39,000 youths under the age of 18 trucking in there on gravel roads, kicking up dust, and everybody is just hyped up about the fact that we were going to be getting to meet with people from across the world."
He even reminisced fondly of having to lug his heavy luggage around.
"You try running to catch an airplane with 75 pounds on your back and you're 15 years old. It's a little bit of a challenge. It was awesome!"
That trip was his first international experience and it included a four-day pre-Jamboree in Frankfurt, Germany, where they got over their jet lag while exploring the city including one of the world's largest outdoor shopping malls.
"Picture West Edmonton Mall with no roof," he suggested. "Just stores and stores and stores everywhere outside on a plaza. It was ridiculous."
At the jamboree itself, however, he was immersed in a cultural mosaic of Scouts from all over the globe. His neighbours included people from the United States, Ireland and around the United Kingdom. He also participated in an out of camp tour with a group from Norway.
"That was amazing! Sure there was a little bit of a language barrier. We definitely had different ways of communicating. A smile does it all. As soon as you smile at somebody, it opens up a whole world of communication."
The struggle before the plane trip
It wasn't a free ride, he added. Not by a long shot.
"We worked our butts off!" he noted, toiling for months and years in advance to raise enough money to go.
"When we got there, it was definitely worth all the work that we put into it."
World Jamborees are like the Olympics and Feb. 29: they only come every four years. That makes them 'blink and you'll miss it' moments too. Only youths aged 14 to 18 can go.
Luckily, Sande gets to relive some of the memories while making some great new ones. Last time, he went as a Venturer but now gets to go as an International Service Team member this summer, meaning he'll help run the activities and services as an adult overseer.
It is anticipated that there will be 30,000 Scouts from 161 countries around the world in Kirara-hama, Japan, between July 28 and Aug. 8.
When this garage sale was first announced, public response was a lot slower than the organizers anticipated, leading them to speculate that it might be less of a success than last year's event that brought in approximately $24,000.
Things have picked up considerably and all is looking good for a great sale. Sande mentioned late last week that the phone has been ringing off the hook. He casually referred to the Scouts' motto as he paused before opening day on Friday.
"We're staying optimistic and knowing that everything is going to come through in the end. It's a learning experience, all in all. In between last year and this year, we know what to expect. If we have to do this next year, we'll definitely be more prepared."
Donations are still being accepted for the garage sale. Anyone who has a quality secondhand item (including sports equipment, household goods, furniture, books, clothes, tools, and toys) can drop them off at the sale site. Pickups can also be scheduled by calling 780-616-8528 or via email at [email protected].
The garage sale is located at the King of Kings Lutheran Church, 54211 R.R. 253 on St. Albert Trail. It will run every weekend from May 29 through June 28, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
People can also visit www.scoutgaragesale.com for more details.
