The Highland Gardens Civic Association, Hollywood’s newest neighborhood association, will sponsor a neighborhood yard sale as part of Hollywood’s 2008 Neighborhood Olympics, and for the benefit of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2008, from 8 a.m. until approximately 12 noon, at the McNicol Community Center, 1411 South 28th Avenue in Hollywood.  According to Shirley Stealey, the Neighborhood Olympics coach for Team Highland Gardens, “We prefer to call it a treasure hunt, because, as they say, one man’s cast-off is another man’s treasure.”

  All residents of Highland Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods are invited to participate, simply by showing up on the morning of July 19 at the McNicol Center with all unwanted wares in tow, and laying claim to the space of their choice. No reservations are needed, and space will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. 

  A limited number of tables will be available on site, and participants are asked to be ready to improvise.  Some may want to display their items on tables, others may prefer to bring a sheet or blanket and spread out on the lawn.  Some may prefer to bring a pick-up truck into the McNicol parking lot, open the tailgate, and set up right there.

  In any case, Highland Gardens Civic Association will charge no rent or admission fees for participation in the sale. In exchange, all participants who sell items are asked to donate some of their sale items to the Association, for sale at a special charity table. Proceeds from the sale of these items will be donated directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a national non-profit organization that spearheads and funds research in the hope of finding a cure for cystic fibrosis, a deadly respiratory disease that affects an estimated one-thousand new patients each year -- most of them pre-school-age children.  When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) first began the crusade against this disease in the early 1950’s, most patients did not live long enough to attend grade school.  Now, thanks to aggressive new treatment modalities and cutting-edge research – almost all of which has been funded by CFF, the average survival age is 37. 

  Participation in the Highland Gardens Treasure Hunt is not limited to Highland Gardens residents – or even Hollywood residents, for that matter.  Anyone with extra stuff sitting around the house can take advantage of this opportunity to unload their household clutter.  This event can be a win-win for everyone involved:  a chance to get rid of unwanted stuff, make some extra pocket money, meet new friends and neighbors, and contribute to a very worthwhile charity.

  Anyone wanting more information regarding the event may call the Team Highland Gardens Neighborhood Olympics coach at 954-923-9109, or the event’s co-coordinator at 954-920-3142.  Civic association representatives will be present with information about membership in the Highland Gardens Civic Association, and educational pamphlets regarding cystic fibrosis. 

To the Treasure Hunt