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It’s a jumble out there!

Photos: S. Siva Saravanan

A sea of shoppers At the Jumble Sale organised by the Vasantha Memorial Trust

Crowds thronged the jumble sale at Ammini Ammal Girls School in R. S. Puram on Sunday. The jumble sale, organised by the Vasantha Memorial Trust, was in aid of poor cancer patients. Donations came from Chennai, Madurai, Mumbai and Tirupur.

A 1995 Fiat for Rs. 30,000, scooters for Rs. 4000, Sony music systems for Rs. 1000 and a revolving chair for Rs. 500; the sale had it all in three floors of the school. Thousand of people jostled to get their hands on old dolls and trophies and even an old Mofa circus bike.

There were loads of furniture, electronics and utensils, some as cheap as Rs. 25. A delightful frenzy prevailed among the army of shoppers.

Senthil and his friends bought a grimy bean-bag for Rs. 200. He said that it was the only thing worth buying. The car was overpriced and the electronics had no warranty.

Meenakshi, an organiser, said that these three months of hard work could fund the treatment of up to eight patients. She said that though they had received great help from ladies clubs and residents welfare associations, most volunteers were students.

There were about 80 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, from the army and air force wings, managing the crowd. “We are selling tickets, looking out for thieves, marshalling people around. It’s great patrolling the event,” said Flight Cadet Praveen from PSG College of Arts and Science.

The H1N1 scare was still evident. People wore clinical masks. The NCC cadets said that though they weren’t afraid of the flu, they were wearing it to create awareness. The organisers handed out the masks to all volunteers to help overcome the fear of contracting anything from the massive crowds.

With something for everyone, in every price range, in huge quantities, the jumble sale was a holiday treat for thrifty shoppers or just about anyone who dropped in for a look. The sale drew proceeds of more than Rs. 9 lakh.

For getting in touch with the Vasantha Memorial Trust, please email vasanthamemorial@gmail.com

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