Mammoth rummage sale will benefit West Tisbury School

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This brightly painted (by art students) box in the lobby of the West Tisbury School is for donations to the gigantic rummage sale. — Courtesy the West Tisbury School

When Joanne Frangos hit on the idea for a rummage sale to raise funds to rebuild the decrepit playground at the West Tisbury School, she wasn’t expecting to end up managing a virtual warehouse containing thousands of items.

From designer clothing — labels such as Donna Karan, LL Bean and Nine West — to housewares, books and sports equipment, the large shed used to store donations is now crammed to the rafters.

“If you need it, we have it,” she said. “Anything you can imagine is there.”

The sale will take place over two days, Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1, from 9 am to 2pm, in the West Tisbury school gym.

Ms. Frangos said she has been overwhelmed by the generosity of West Tisbury families and Island businesses such as Martha’s Closet that pitched in with quality goods.

“You could outfit your kids for the next school year,” she said. “Some of the clothes are brand-new. Or, find great costumes for next Halloween.”   There are beautiful matched sets of china and fine glassware, skis, baseball bats, and a bookworm’s dream library of novels and nonfiction titles.

Ms. Frangos and a handful of dedicated volunteers have been collecting, sorting, and storing items since last September. They could still use some help in advance of the sale and on sale days. Helpers will get a special sneak peek opportunity to buy.

If you have an hour or so to spare from noon on Thursday, May 29, to sort and transport the sale items, or to man a table on the weekend, Ms. Frangos would love to hear from you. Her email is playgroundtagsale@hotmail.com. There’s also time to drop off donations during school hours in the special box in the school foyer. Island businesses also are encouraged to donate.

“This isn’t your ordinary rummage sale,” said Ms. Frangoes. “You won’t want to miss it.”