The municipality’s biggest yard sale, the 15th annual Halifax Dump and Run, is set to kick off this Sunday and 2016’s haul is sure to bring back some memories for you ‘90s kids.
Having commandeered a small classroom in the Loyola building of Saint Mary’s University (as well as an impressive chunk of the Dalhousie University campus), co-organizers Sahil Ahuja and Saint Mary’s University Environmental Society (SMUES) president Rohid Premkumar are slowly sorting through the heap of items that have been donated thus far.
Amongst the collection are a pair of vintage squash rackets, which Ahuja says are definitely one of the weirdest items he’s seen. Wandering through the array of boxes filled with cookware and ink jet printers, a book entitled A Rulebook for Arguments and a photo album with a picture of a small child protruding from it catch the eye.
“They were so eager to donate, they forgot to take their photos out”, says Ahuja, as he cautiously navigates his way along a small path of visible floor.
“We’ve opened up donations to the community,” says Rohid. “In the past, everything came from the residences [on campus].” Rohid says that they spent seven hours so far doing community pickups and more are scheduled before the big event on Sunday.
The Halifax Dump and Run began in 2002, a co-effort between the SMUES and Dalhousie’s Office of Sustainability. The goal is to eliminate the amount of waste that goes to landfills from students leaving after graduation. They gather and inspect the donations and sell them at low prices. The proceeds from the event go to various charities in the city that support social and environmental causes.
“We’re still accepting applications from charities,” says Rohid. “We have to see how much money we raise before we decide which ones we’ll be donating to this year.” Past recipients have included Avalon Sexual Assault Centre and The North End Community Health Centre.
But what happens to the stuff that doesn’t sell?
“The day after the event, we have different charities that come and collect some stuff,” says Ahuja. Pieces that don’t sell on Sunday will be donated to organizations such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Soul’s Harbour Rescue Mission. Ahuja says that they’ve also been in talks with Citadel High School about making donations to help Syrian refugees.
The Halifax Dump and Run
Sunday, May 1
Studley Gym, Dalhousie University
6260 South Street
9am-5pm
