‘Going really well’: Sarnia charity’s spring sale fundraiser off to a strong start

Going really well Sarnia charitys spring sale fundraiser off to

Nick Stokley and Joseph Cleveland have been matched up through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarnia-Lambton for about four years, so they know each other pretty well.

Which means Stokley knew full well his nearly 13-year-old Little Brother would be up for volunteering at Saturday’s fundraiser for the local non-profit organization – but not until after he got to sleep in.

“It started at 9 (am), I was like, ‘No way Joseph’s getting up before 9 (am),’” Stokley said with a chuckle.

From left, volunteers Joseph Cleveland and Nick Stokley sell a raffle ticket to Mike Arnold, all Sarnia residents, during the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarnia-Lambton's Spring Show and Sale inside Lambton College's gym on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Sarnia, Ont .  Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network
From left, volunteers Joseph Cleveland and Nick Stokley sell a raffle ticket to Mike Arnold, all Sarnia residents, during the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarnia-Lambton’s Spring Show and Sale inside Lambton College’s gym on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Sarnia, Ont . Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network Photo by Terry Bridge /Terry Bridge/The Observer

So the pair of Sarnia residents started working together around 11 am instead, selling raffle tickets during the agency’s second annual Spring Show and Sale inside Lambton College’s gym.

“It’s a great venue,” said Kaylen Burgess, the charity’s executive director. “The venue provides a lot of space for the vendors, too, so it’s not congested in here like it’s been in past years.

“The vendors seem happy. We’re happy. Everything’s going really well.”

Kaylen Burgess, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarnia-Lambton, stands inside Lambton College's gym during the non-profit organization's Spring Show and Sale on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Sarnia, Ont.  Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network
Kaylen Burgess, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarnia-Lambton, stands inside Lambton College’s gym during the non-profit organization’s Spring Show and Sale on Saturday, April 30, 2022 in Sarnia, Ont. Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network

Janelle Joosten from Sarnia was one of the event’s 79 vendors. Joosten, who sells jewelry such as handmade earrings, said it was a busy day.

“Really great,” she said. “Local love, especially after COVID, I feel like this is really great. Everyone’s supporting the community – it’s been good.”

“It’s been a steady day,” Burgess agreed.

The event is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers, with a goal Saturday of bringing in $40,000. Raffle tickets and vendor and customer fees were the main source of the fundraising, which will help support the non-profit’s core programs, Burgess said.

“We’re United Way-funded, but all that it doesn’t cover goes back to this,” she said.

Although this was the second annual spring event, it’s the first since 2019 after a two-year COVID-related hiatus. The organization’s fall sale has been around for decades, but the spring version only launched three years ago.

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