Jared Welsch and Lean Beight, two of the student co-chairs of the White Elephant Sale at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, show off some of the merchandise that will be for sale at the school’s …
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by Lauren Witonsky
Ansel Adams’ glass negatives. An 1820’s copy of the Declaration of Independence. A potential Picaso original. These are just a few of the items that have turned up at yard sales and flea markets in the past 10 years. If you like a good yard sale, you will love the White Elephant event at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy on Sunday, October 20.
The White Elephant is a huge flea market hosted by SCH Academy, where people can buy gently used and top quality items such as clothing, jewelry, furniture, toys, books, and sporting goods at an inexpensive price. SCH Academy students have been working since last spring to creatively fund their global travel and service programs.
Several of the students helping to organize the White Elephant event will travel to Cambodia in November. While in Takeo Province the students will be immersed in a community project supporting local families living in poverty. Looking forward, these students are hoping to establish a community travel fund. “We have so many great travel opportunities at our school and we would love to make this an annual event to give more members of our community the opportunity to study abroad,” says student coordinator and high school senior Leah Beight.
Since May, students at SCH Academy have been collecting donations from their peers, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni.
“There are so many people in our community that have really interesting items that other people could put to good use,” says senior co-chair Leah Beight. “We have had an overwhelming amount of donations so far.”
Why a flea market?
“Yard sales, flea markets and white elephant sales offer a fun venue to spend time with friends and family,” says SCH Academy Director of Innovative Teaching and faculty mentor Jennifer Vermillion. “They provide a wonderful opportunity for members of the community to find interesting and original items at a low cost, and it's good for the environment to repurpose so many items.”
According to Vermillion, the student co-chairs, Leah Beight, Devon McAllister, and Jared Welsch have worked tirelessly to “manage multiple tasks including volunteer recruitment, publicity, large event coordination and pricing, all while juggling rigorous academic schedules and extra-curricular activities.” The hard work is, however, already paying off.
“They have developed so many important skills as they organized this huge event,” says Vermillion. “So many people in our community have dedicated their time and talent to support these students and for that we are incredibly grateful.”
The White Elephant Sale will be held at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Vare Field House on Sunday, October 20 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cash and major credit cards will be accepted. Admission is free.