Annual book sale garners funds for SCC

Shoppers take advantage of the ability to purchase a bag or box full of books for $5 during Sunday’s sale wrap up in the War Memorial Building. Toni Milbourne
SHEPHERDSTOWN — The annual Legendary Book Sale hosted each year by the Shepherdstown Community Club is touted as a huge success for 2021. The sale, held this past weekend, brought in over $10,000 for the club, which will use the funds to maintain both the War Memorial Building and Morgan’s Grove Park.
“No matter how you look at it, this year’s book sale was a gratifying success,” said lead organizer Mike Austin.
“We received more book donations than ever before — well over 140 individual families, by my count — and easily over 75,000 books,” Austin said, explaining that a significant donation from Bob Smith, that belonged to Mary Stanley, definitely increased the offerings.
Especially notable were Stanley’s collection of over 1,000 cookbooks.
The contribution of two of the event’s sponsors was particularly important, Austin said.
“Valley Storage provides us with a large storage unit gratis which allows us to collect and store books throughout the year when it is most convenient for donors to make their contributions,” Austin said. “The Four Seasons Book Store on German Street in Shepherdstown is our other sponsor, and they contribute books, are a major customer and help us maintain visibility of our efforts throughout the year.”
The sale was the culmination of a year-long effort involving numerous volunteers to help carry, sort books and finally put them into the hands of community members. Included in those volunteers were boys and girls, men and women of all ages and abilities. Several families provided vehicles to transport the books to the War Memorial Building.
“At one point, I counted eight or nine vehicles on the road shuttling books in from storage locations,” Austin said.
One volunteer, Jody Cullen, made and provided aprons for all volunteers working the sale. The eye-catching logo stitched across the front of each apron provided a professional atmosphere during the sale when customers needed to ask questions.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how nice it is to work with a cheerful crew of volunteers,” said club member Steve Wabnitz. “Everyone rolled up their sleeves, shuffled books around and we offered a fun experience for our happy customers.”
Once the sale was over, including the grand finale on Sunday when shoppers were able to take home as many books as they could load into a box or bag for just $5, the same volunteers spent the rest of the week sorting what remained to determine what could be stored for next year and what needed to be removed.
“The sale is much more than just a fundraiser,” Austin said. “The books themselves are treasures when we can put them into the right hands. Just watching the expression on the faces of the little children searching for a special section in the kid’s section makes it all worthwhile.”
Those who have an interest in helping with next year’s book sale can call Austin at 304-876-0598 or 304-261-2359. It’s never too early to make a donation.