Group garage sale to roll out return

WITH an annual community garage sale returning to the region, now is the perfect time to declutter your home.

Running for the first time in four years, Creswick’s Community Garage Sale is set to be held later this month.

The event is run by a six-person committee with the Creswick and District Aquatic Centre, whose secretary Julie Moran said it’ll be a welcome return for the region.

“We’ve had people asking whether we’ll be coming back,” she said. “We also have sporting groups and community groups who’ll hold theirs at a venue.

“This year, for example, the Victoria Street Craft Group are holding their one at the RSL Hall as a fundraising event for themselves.

“It’s very exciting to be back. It’s very much a community event. Local people can travel around the area and pick up things like garden furniture, second hand clothes, things like that.”

More than 40 people registered with the event will open up their garages with participants located as far as Newlyn, Blampied, and Smeaton.

For those who don’t want to open up their property, the event organisers have partnered this year with the Creswick Market, with an area set up for the garage sale.

Funds raised through the event will go towards the Creswick and District Aquatic Centre’s decade-long campaign to bring an indoor heated pool to the town.

Between $10,000 to $15,000 has been raised over seven years from the garage sale event, but Ms Moran said cash isn’t their key aim.

“It’s the opportunity to keep the conversation on the front burner,” she said.

“Because of our young and ageing population, we really do need more water exercise and recreation facilities. Creswick doesn’t have an outdoor pool like the other towns in the Shire.

“When Hepburn Shire, who in the last few years has developed an aquatic strategy, decide they want to start planning the pool, we want that to be in Creswick.

“If it does, we’ll hand over all the money we’ve got.”

Creswick’s Community Garage Sales runs on Saturday 21 October.

A map detailing the locations of sales will be available for $5 on the day from 8am at the Queen Victoria Bandstand, and Flemo’s Milkbar, as well as at the Creswick Information Centre from 10am.

Proceeds from the maps as well as through the sale registration fees will go towards the indoor pool campaign.

To hold a sale for the event, register at the Creswick Post Office before Tuesday 17 October.