How many times have you had a really great idea and then, for some reason—be it you were too busy, didn’t think you’d be able to pull it off, or just didn’t have the motivation—instead of acting on it, you pushed it out of your mind and moved on with your life? I think we can all relate. Often, coming up with the great ideas is the easy part—but having the courage to breath life into them is much more difficult. All of you mompreneurs who have dreamed up business ideas and actually put them into action, should be applauded!
This is a story about a mom who gave birth to a great idea, not with the desire to turn a profit, but rather the desire to give something back. Rachael Smith was recovering from surgery, plus eight rounds of chemotherapy, plus 45 rounds of radiation treatment when she first came up with her idea. The 43-year-old mom of two daughters had been shaken when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a number of months prior.
She made it through her treatment with the help of an extremely supportive team of nurses at the Toronto East General Hospital, and when she was finally feeling well enough, she decided she wanted to find a way to thank them—and to support other women living with the same disease.
“We had two kids and a basement full of stuff we no longer used and so it dawned on me and my husband that a great way to raise money and clear out our cluttered basement, would be to host a yard sale,” Rachael tells me. “We live in The Beach neighbourhood of Toronto where yard sales are a common occurrence, and people who host them tend to do pretty well.”
The original plan was that their family would host a yard sale and any money they earned would be donated to the hospital that had helped Rachael throughout her cancer treatment. It was a simple idea—with big heart.
But Rachael’s husband didn’t want to stop there.
“I remember him asking, ‘Why don’t we invite everyone on the street to participate?'. . . so we did!"
Because she and her husband work in advertising/marketing—they had the power of influence on their side.
With most of the houses on the street agreeing to participate in their fundraising efforts, the couple decided to take the idea a little bit further.
“All of a sudden we were heading out with flyers, knocking on doors and encouraging every home in The Beach to host a yard sale on May 25, 2005.”
Their influence worked.
That day there were 350 yard sales in their Toronto neighbourhood.
Participants signed up and paid a $20 fee. This got them a large sign that they were able to post on their lawn indicating they were officially part of this fundraising effort. “Once you agreed to host a sale, you could donate all or a portion of your proceeds to one of three causes: Toronto East General’s Oncology Unit, Princess Margaret Hospital, or The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF),” says Rachael. “We registered as an official charity and everyone who donated their proceeds got a tax receipt.” They also got t-shirts, a kit with tips on how to host a yard sale, and other gear that would help them promote their sales. All of this was put together by Rachael and her friends and family—gathered around her dining room table
That year $42,000 was raised and Yard Sale For the Cure was born.
“At the time I imagined we’d turn this into an annual event in The Beach, but I didn’t imagine it would ever become nation-wide,” says Rachael. The following year the event grew to encompass a few more Toronto neighbourhoods. Then it expanded its reach across Ontario. In its fourth year, 2008, there were yard sales being held across the country for a cause that was near and dear to Rachael’s heart.
“In 2009 we were the largest third-party fundraiser for CBCF and they approached us to see if we were interested in letting them take over the event,” she recalls. “At the time we had a full-time person working on the project, it had become really big—we had relied on family and friends for five years to help it get to where it was at.” It was time to pass her idea on to the people who she knew could take it to the next level.
Today Yard Sale for the Cure is second only to CBCF’s Run for The Cure and this signature event has raised more than $1 million dollars toward breast cancer research. “The fact that my little idea has made it possible to raise this much money toward finding a cure for breast cancer one day, is phenomenal,” says Rachel.
This Saturday May 26, just like every other year since 2005, Rachael and her family will don their pink t-shirts, or wigs, or hats, and host a Yard Sale for the Cure with all of their family and friends who have been supporting them since the beginning.
“It really is an amazing feeling,” says Rachael, who now works as the event’s spokesperson.
So, no matter how small or impossible your idea may seem—instead of coming up with a million and one reasons not to do it—take a chance and give it a shot! You never know what you’ll be able to accomplish when you set your mind to it.
To learn more about Yard Sale for the Cure and to find a sale near you visit http://www.yardsaleforthecure.com.
Insider's Tip: these Featured Sales are often the best bet for finding amazing stuff at bargain prices!
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