A little idea turned into a big fund-raiser for Clarkston’s SCAMP thanks to Tammy Layton.
Layton is the driving force behind an upcoming rummage sale hosted by the Clarkston Community Schools transportation department from June 17-19 at the historic Ellis barn in Springfield Township.
The idea to do a rummage sale developed when Layton, a bus driver for Clarkston schools, drove past Christ Lutheran Church in Waterford during one of their large sales. Layton contacted the church and found they raised $27,000 from such sales.
‘I thought to myself, ‘I don’t know why SCAMP doesn’t do something like that??,? Layton said. ‘I guess you could say I’m a copy cat.?
With the idea to help the camp growing, Layton contacted Mel Vaara who directed her to SCAMP executive director Donna Clancy. The entire process took about three months to make the rummage sale a reality.
Layton originally wanted the sale to be hosted by all Clarkston school employees, but turned into a sale run solely by transportation department employees, according to Layton.
‘I’ve had about a dozen regular people helping,? Layton said. ‘We’ve passed out flyers to people at garage sales to get the word out.?
Helping Layton a great deal was Rose Bowlby, a recently-retired driver for the district.
‘Rose is my number one volunteer. She’s been a great help,? Layton said. ‘She has so much generosity. She’s a great woman.?
Bowlby allowed donated sale items to be stored in her barn leading up to the sale’s preparation. As word got out about the sale, Bowlby’s barn began to fill quickly.
‘At first we didn’t think we’d have enough to fill the barn,? Layton said. ‘But I guess it’s word of mouth and now I don’t know where we’ll put everything.?
Curious shoppers will find a little bit of everything, from children’s toys to seasonal decorations to a huge selection of used bicycles.
‘It looks like a used bike lot,? Layton said. ‘Anything you can think of we’ve got.?
Even Clancy was amazed at the response to donations.
‘Vans and cars pull in faster than we can unload them,? Clancy said.
In addition to the sale itself, entertainment will also be a big feature of the event.
Oakland County Parks will bring a climbing wall to the event for eager climbers to enjoy, Home Depot of Lake Orion will provide woodworking kits for children to utilize and a tour of the Ellis house will be offered for $1 per person.
‘We’ve got a lot of things going on,? Layton said.
With the positive support from the community in response to the sale, Layton is looking forward to the event and how it will benefit SCAMP.
‘It’s a great organization. I’ve been walking for SCAMP since I was a kid,? Layton said. ‘I know they don’t have a whole lot for SCAMP, so I thought it would be a great thing for the school system to do.?
The rummage sale runs Thursday, June 17 through Saturday, June 19. Hours for Thursday and Friday are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Ellis barn is located at 9331 Dixie Hwy. in Springfield Township.