Volunteer Kim Galizio sets up shelves yesterday to get ready for the Child Development Center Rummage Sale. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday at the center.

Credit: Andrew popik

Children at the Child Development Center will soon have more room to play if tomorrow’s rummage sale earns at least $1,700.

That’s the amount raised by last year’s rummage sale. If the center can match that, it will have more than $10,800, the estimated cost to complete the second and final stage of the playground behind the center.

According to child program coordinator Pam Hutchins, the rummage sale is the center’s largest fund raiser.

The first part of the playground was built this fall, but it took four years to raise the $12,000 it took to build it.

Because the center is self-funded, the playground was not within the center’s budget.

Therefore, fund raisers such as basket raffles, rigatoni dinners and cookie dough sales were used to account for the project’s costs.

Hutchins said a successful fund-raising school year allowed the center to complete the second phase of the playground about one year ahead of schedule.

“It’s the culmination of a goal that parents started working on six to seven years ago,” said Diane Kurlich, president of the parents’ organization.

Tomorrow’s rummage sale will consist mostly of donations from parents of children from the center. Kurlich said there will be a lot of children’s clothing and toys. However, there will also be books, household appliances and furniture. She said the rummage sale is a good opportunity for students to inexpensively furnish their apartments.

The rummage sale runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow and will be held at the center.

Contact education reporter Joseph Stanonik at [email protected].