Annual Hospital Garage Sale a success and continues to draw the community together 

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

The annual Hospital Garage Sale by the Bow Island & District Health Foundation saw another grand success for its 2025 run, and coordinator Alta Magee couldn’t be more pleased about how this event continues to draw the community together.

It all started in 1990 when a Bow Island Health Care staff member approached Magee about plans to raise funds for a project at the hospital.

“We decided to have a garage sale,” says Magee, and the rest is history.

Now, 35 years on, the Hospital Garage Sale has only had two closures – during the COVID pandemic and during 2024.

“Last year we had many useful unsold items and since The Post thrift store had closed, we had nowhere to put them. The Post had generously taken our unsold items in the prior years, and we wanted to keep the useable items out of the landfill. This year we opened the floor to charitable organizations for two days after the sale, and anything that was not taken by charity was accepted by Y Treasure Thrift Store (operated by the YMCA).”

Magee has been a fixture with the Hospital Garage Sale since the year it launched. She started her career at the hospital in 1989. For 17 years she was an RN. The final 10 years of her career before she retired saw her operating as the site manager. The garage sale was organized by hospital staff for the first several years. With the establishment of the local Bow Island & District Health Foundation in 1996, the annual project was handed over to the Health Foundation in 1997.

“The event became a part of each year’s planning,” says Magee about how it has become foundational for the health centre – and beyond.

It clearly has a measurable impact.

“There were no records kept for those first few years, but since the Foundation has been responsible (1997 – present) over $150,000 has been raised for various projects (birthing suite, cardiac monitoring equipment, etc.). In recent years, the funds raised support the education fund (annual scholarships, ongoing staff education), and specialized educational equipment as well as staff wellness fund which supports such events as the long service awards,” says Magee. She adds, “This year, before expenses, almost $15,000 was raised.”

The benefits go beyond financial.

“Community involvement is huge,” she continues. “Students from Bow Island’s high school help with set up and clean up. This year’s class was around 30 people and they helped with the set up, take down, and movement of the goods. The volunteer hours from the Foundation this year were around 300 over nine days. Community volunteerism exceeded 700 hours and donors were around 200 people/groups. The community aspect is just as important as the fundraising.”

When the doors open, it all comes together in a fun and exciting way.

“There is everything from soup to nuts!” says Magee. “Antiques and collectibles; jewelry; entertainment such as books, videos, and CDs; Man Land, which is everything men might enjoy and this year we had four men volunteer to look after that department; household goods, which includes China, pots and pans, linens, and plasticware; seasonal; travel and leisure; pets; Kiddy Land; and more. Clothing is huge. We also had lamps, pictures, and furniture.”

In the past, the Sale would start at 6:30 am to give hospital staff a chance to attend before day shift or after night shift. The hours moved to a later start over the past couple of years, but what has not changed is the high level of engagement.

“This year we had between 200-250 people up front waiting for the doors to open, and about 60 at the back – and then they just kept coming!”

Magee is very grateful for another successful Sale and all the people who made it happen.

She concludes, “The amount of help given to us this year was amazing. We appreciated the students; they not only worked hard, they had a lot of fun! The whole community deserves a lot of thanks. The Hospital Garage Sale is not a one person job. It takes a team.”

A big thank you to all who volunteered, donated, shopped, and supported. The Sale was a huge success and next year’s event is already hotly anticipated.