University of New Hampshire Athletics
Wildcats at Durham’s Yard Sale: ‘Win-Win All the Way Around’
9/27/2016 1:07:00 PM | #WildcatsCare
DURHAM, N.H. – The 700 Family Durham Yard Sale has grown and grown through the years into a hugely popular community event, held each year on the first Saturday after Labor Day.
The role of UNH's athletic teams in the Yard Sale has expanded right along with the sale.
"It's a really cool event," said Kristen Anderson, a senior on the women's basketball team. "There are a lot of people that come out. It's a good way for us to reach out to the community."
This year, most Wildcat teams that were not in their playing seasons combined to send dozens of athletes to help with various aspects of the sale.
"It's a massive undertaking and it's grown significantly from where it was at first," said Cathy Coakley, UNH's coordinator of student athlete development who is a liaison between student athletes and community service projects. "It's become a very big part of the fall as a community event. On the day of the event itself, people are waiting in line for it to open at 8:30 in the morning."
Athletes started helping out with the yard sale well before it started and continued right through until after it ended on Saturday afternoon.
The men's track team worked through the week on the project, largely unloading trucks full of couches, desks, chairs, dining room sets and other heavy furniture.
The men's and women's hockey teams and women's lacrosse team were involved in setup for the yard sale on Friday.
Men's and women's basketball teams and the gymnastics team worked the event itself on Saturday with duties ranging from helping customers carry out their purchases to serving a barbecue lunch to cleanup.
"We've done it all four years I've been here, but this is the first year we got to talk to people," Anderson said. "The years before we were setting up. We're good at lifting things. But we're better at talking."
The role of the athletes in the yard sale overall has evolved through the years, Coakley said.
"When we first started helping out they mostly needed young, strong bodies to help with heavy lifting and setting up," Coakley said. "We discovered many years ago that our athletes interacted really well with members of the community. They weren't just interacting with the organizers. They were interacting with people coming and browsing and buying things and other community members."
Relationships were formed.
"People from the yard sale were coming to games," Coakley said. "It was a two-way street. It's become a very positive event and partnership, not only because of our presence and being part of the community, but because of building relationships."
It brought teams together as well.
"Another positive offshoot was it brought athletes from different teams together to work the events and they got to know each other," Coakley said. "It's a win-win all the way around."
The role of UNH's athletic teams in the Yard Sale has expanded right along with the sale.
"It's a really cool event," said Kristen Anderson, a senior on the women's basketball team. "There are a lot of people that come out. It's a good way for us to reach out to the community."
This year, most Wildcat teams that were not in their playing seasons combined to send dozens of athletes to help with various aspects of the sale.
"It's a massive undertaking and it's grown significantly from where it was at first," said Cathy Coakley, UNH's coordinator of student athlete development who is a liaison between student athletes and community service projects. "It's become a very big part of the fall as a community event. On the day of the event itself, people are waiting in line for it to open at 8:30 in the morning."
Athletes started helping out with the yard sale well before it started and continued right through until after it ended on Saturday afternoon.
The men's track team worked through the week on the project, largely unloading trucks full of couches, desks, chairs, dining room sets and other heavy furniture.
The men's and women's hockey teams and women's lacrosse team were involved in setup for the yard sale on Friday.
Men's and women's basketball teams and the gymnastics team worked the event itself on Saturday with duties ranging from helping customers carry out their purchases to serving a barbecue lunch to cleanup.
"We've done it all four years I've been here, but this is the first year we got to talk to people," Anderson said. "The years before we were setting up. We're good at lifting things. But we're better at talking."
The role of the athletes in the yard sale overall has evolved through the years, Coakley said.
"When we first started helping out they mostly needed young, strong bodies to help with heavy lifting and setting up," Coakley said. "We discovered many years ago that our athletes interacted really well with members of the community. They weren't just interacting with the organizers. They were interacting with people coming and browsing and buying things and other community members."
Relationships were formed.
"People from the yard sale were coming to games," Coakley said. "It was a two-way street. It's become a very positive event and partnership, not only because of our presence and being part of the community, but because of building relationships."
It brought teams together as well.
"Another positive offshoot was it brought athletes from different teams together to work the events and they got to know each other," Coakley said. "It's a win-win all the way around."
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