The Goods for Good sale was a tremendous success. The 26 sites (up 30 percent from last year) raised over $10,000 for charities of their choice. Donations were given to numerous charities serving the local, national and global communities.

One of my favorite parts of the sale was learning about everyone’s diverse philanthropic interests. While some participants donated to traditional charities such as the American Cancer Society and the Community Action Center, others donated to lesser-known organizations including the Siamese Cat Rescue and the Buddhist Meditation Center. Through this sale, I learned and got excited about a whole new group of charities. Ultimately, I think the reason we were so successful with the Gods for Good is because people are able to donate to organizations that support their own passions.

I want to highlight two stories from the sale that I find particularly inspiring. At one site, Northfield students sold items they had gathered from the clean-up days. Not only did they help the environment by giving items bound for the landfill a second chance for a home, they also raised $1,200 for the Northfield Union of Youth.

At another site, Mamie Tuma raised money for an upcoming Rejoice Church Alaskan Mission Trip, while her daughter sold homemade dog biscuits to benefit the Humane Society. This story is so inspiring because she used a talent to make money to support a passion that she had. We can all learn from her story.

The bottom line of the Goods for Good sale is that everyone involved wins. The people who had sales got rid of the things they no longer wanted while supporting a charity in which they believed. If they needed to, they also got to make a little money for themselves. Additionally, the people who shopped the sales got great deals and got to feel good about their purchases because at least some of their money was going to charity. Finally, the organizations that were being supported received money that was raised in a way that did not detract from their other fundraising efforts.

Now that the sale is over, I have had many people throughout the community express their regret for not participating in the sale. As a result, I encourage people who want to participate next year to start planning ahead.

If we have a better idea of how many participants we will have next year, we can better publicize our sale and it can be even more successful for the charities and for the community. Our goal is to advertise the Goods for Good sale regionally to attract new money into our charities. Moreover, Northfield’s economy will benefit from regional shoppers who will eat at our restaurants, shop at our stores and sleep at our hotels.

I encourage you to think and plan ahead for this amazing opportunity. Next year’s Goods for Good sale will occur Friday, April 30 to Sunday, May 2. You can contact me at the 5thbridge.com for further information about the 2010 sale.