Chathams Madison Town-Wide Yard Success
One way to measure the success of the recent Chathams Madison Town-Wide Yard sale is anecdotal. “At the crack of dawn, we had shoppers from New York and Pennsylvania,” recalls Susie Robertson, who held a freecycle sale in Chatham Borough.
“My sale was so busy I had to telephone my husband inside the house and ask him to bring me coffee,” says Claire Whitcomb, a Madison resident and Chair of the Madison Environmental Commission.
Other ways to measure the sale’s success are similarly anecdotal—reduced waste on the curb and increased neighborhood conversations. But one metric is rock solid: 112 registrants, a total that tops 110 from last spring’s sale.
“This is a great community event that has become a popular and growing tradition for our three towns,” says Robert H. Conley, Mayor of the Borough of Madison. “It’s a win for the environment—and a definite win for shoppers.”
Since each registration involves a $10 tax-deductible donation to the Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) that means $1100 was raised in registration fees this spring.
“For those keeping score—and we are—the past three Town-Wide Yard Sales have raised over $3000 for our environmental work,” says Valerie Thorpe, Director of Communications and Membership at GSWA.
She adds, “Of note, some who had already registered ended up having to cancel their sale, and without exception, they insisted we keep the registration fee as a donation to GSWA.”
This spring, one of the happy donors was Madison resident Margaret Malishchak of Glass4Good. She held a sale on her front steps showcasing her stained glass—and donated the proceeds, $310, to GSWA. Malishchak explains, “Since the inception of Glass4Good in November 2020, I have donated over $5000—100 percent of sales—to New Jersey-based social and environmental justice organizations, thanks to the tremendous support I’ve received from the community.”
The next Town-Wide Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, October 15, 9am to 1pm. Please sign up for the Great Swamp’s newsletter to be notified about this and other community events.
