For the past several years, Leslie Bullock, REALTOR® with RE/MAX Garden City in Burlington, has been participating in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s Yard Sale for the Cure campaign by hosting a sale in her community each summer. Her inspiration came from Rachael Smith, breast cancer survivor and the organizer of the first ever Yard Sale for the Cure, who spoke at a RE/MAX event seven years ago. Leslie decided to follow Rachael’s lead and get involved in this grassroots initiative. Over the years, her event has evolved and grown exponentially. Last year, approximately 5,000 people attended Leslie’s Yard Sale for the Cure and over $15,000 was raised for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. And this year? Approximately 7,000 people attended and over $30,000 was raised. Not resting on her laurels, Leslie has set her goal for next year at a whopping $50,000.
Not Your Average Yard Sale
Items were donated for the sale over several months leading up to the big day, filling an off-site tractor trailer and two local garages. The event took up two residential properties, plus an adjacent school yard and church. There was also an accompanying festival nearby with live music by several local bands, hot air balloon rides, a bouncy castle for children, face painters, a lottery, as well as vendors.
How does Leslie, a busy REALTOR®, do it—especially during the busiest time of year for real estate? To start, she works closely with an executive committee of about a dozen people. The committee has grown each year in line with the scope of the event. Tasks such as sponsorship, marketing, and volunteer management are delegated to committee members. This year, over 100 volunteers contributed to the event’s success.
Thinking Outside the Bra Box
Leslie admits that it takes a long time to build up a great annual event. She was thrilled that, after years of reaching out to the media, this year’s yard sale finally garnered a “phenomenal” amount of attention from the local media.
Leslie credits the new addition of a bra decorating contest for drawing interest from local newspapers and television stations. After learning about this fun approach, which has been done a lot in the States, Leslie and her team pulled together their own version. They invited local celebrities to decorate bras then asked them to show their creations off in their offices and get pledges. The completed bras were put on display at the yard sale and voted on by a panel of judges and the public. Due to its great success, Leslie and her team plan to expand the contest for next year.
Challenges and Rewards
She admits that with such a big event, there are times of frustration (e.g. not everything people donate to be sold is received in satisfactory condition). A significant challenge over the years has been logistics, but Leslie and her team have learned to manage the amount of product they receive. This year, they shrink-wrapped all of the items and placed them on skids. Thirty-five skids were then delivered to Leslie’s driveway, which made it much easier for the volunteers when it came time to set everything up for sale.
When asked what the most rewarding thing about this experience has been, Leslie reports that it’s “the stories.” As an example, one volunteer told her that she has a friend suffering from cancer right now and she wished there was something she could do for her. This volunteer told Leslie that, after helping price items for the yard sale, she planned to call up her friend and tell her how she helped that day.
Although she doesn’t do it for the accolades, Leslie admits that the yard sale has been really good for business. “It’s good to show people that you care. People respond to it,” she says.
About the Yard Sale for the Cure
The annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Yard Sale for the Cure is a series of yard sales that take place throughout the summer in local communities across Canada in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Every dollar raised through Yard Sale for the Cure goes towards breast cancer research, health promotion, advocacy, education and awareness programs.
Pictured (top): Leslie Bullock posing with one of the unique items that were sold at her Yard Sale for the Cure 2012. Photo care of Gary Yokoyama, The Hamilton Spectator.
Pictured (middle): Leslie Bullock (left) being interviewed on CHCH’s Morning Live.
Pictured (bottom): The eye-catching bra-o-meter, which informed passers-by of how much money had been raised to date.
