Rodgers' Family Free Garage Sale

By David L. Dyer

There is another free garage sale coming up. This will be the seventh annual Rodgers' family free garage sale. First a little history: It was in the year of 2013 that I first met the lovely Bethann Rodgers. Bethann, a former gymnast was at that time into her 20th year with multiple sclerosis.

She told me of a vacation to Africa in 2010 and how that vacation with her husband Steve, daughter, Annie and son, Tommy prompted the beginning of these free garage sales. Annie was very disturbed when she learned first hand how the little orphaned girls were treated. When they became young teenagers they were either sold, married off or destined to a life of poverty. She asked her mom “what can we do to help them?” They put their heads together and came up with the idea of a free garage sale.

All items would be given away at no cost. They would in turn ask for donations in an attempt to collect the $2000 price tag of sending an orphaned girl in Kenya to a Christian Boarding School for grades K-12. For the first three years they were able to do just that.
I asked Bethann if I could join her in the year 2013. Of course she could use all the help she could get. My wife, Janet and I had stored many an item in our basement, attic and garage for the garage sale that never happened. I told Bethann “Let’s try to collect $4000 this year and send two little girls to school.” So of course she was all for that.

I began writing articles for our local newspaper, the Ile Camera asking the community for assistance in donating items for the sale.  Janet and I took over not less than seven car loads of items. This sale took place on the same day as the Island wide garage sale, which was the third weekend in August, so we competed with over one hundred other sales.
At the end of that Saturday the donations totaled a little over $3000. There was no doubt in my mind if we continued on Sunday we would reach our goal of $4000. We decided to go for it and called it God’s day.  As it turned out God did hear our prayers for the grand total collected came to exactly $4000. My brother Wayne, better known as Dr Wayne Dyer, World renowned Author/Speaker, often seen on PBS, who succumbed to a heart attack one year ago was so touched by that story he matched the $4000 and four little girls were on their way to school in Kenya.

The dates for this year’s free garage sale will be August 19-20. Items may be dropped off at 26225 West River Road, Grosse Ile, MI.  If there are any of you that may need help in transporting items let me know and I will make arrangements.
davidldyer@gmail.com