Submitted by Cathy Viscount
The 2025 Annual Lion’s Head Hospital Auxiliary (LHHA) Yard Sale, now dubbed “The Firefly Yard Sale”, was quite the novel event. If you were there you know exactly what that means. If not, then you are in for quite the tale.
Shoppers were lined up in anticipation of entering the arena at 8:00 a.m. sharp. As is our tradition, the shoppers were cheered on by the Auxiliary volunteers as they filed into the arena. Everything was going well. The shoppers, many who already knew what they wanted, zeroed in on specific locations. We were ten minutes in and moving to our workstations, when, suddenly, the lights went out. Everyone was a little stunned by this unexpected complication. Nowhere in the heavy-duty planning for a huge yard sale is there a contingency plan for a power outage. An audible sigh went up. “Oh, oh.” We held our breaths hoping the lights would flicker back on. They did not.
An arena is a rather dark place. No windows exist so natural light is limited. Fortunately, a couple of emergency exit doors had been propped open for ventilation so there was some illumination, but not much. What was this going to do to our beloved yard sale? Would the shoppers leave? They did not. Many of them just whipped out their cell phones, activated the flashlight function and KEPT ON SHOPPING. There were those who regretted having left their phones at home, but those with their flashlights graciously shone their light enough to assist those around them. And a few of the volunteers, after figuring out how to activate their flashlight function, became ‘light ambassadors’. Some shoppers did feel they needed to leave but promised to return once the power came back on. And many did. Alas, the lights were out for almost two hours.
It was quite the scene, a darkened arena illuminated by glittering fireflies. That is what it looked like, a plethora of fireflies flitting about in all areas of the arena. An interesting and quirky fact is that International Firefly Day occurs the first weekend of July. Who knew so many would be replicating this amazing insect’s signature behaviour in such an unexpected and unique fashion?
Thanks to the hardy shoppers and the extremely generous donations we received, the Yard Sale was a huge success. We weren’t sure what the impact of the power outage would be but the generous spirits of the community ensured that all the money raised by the yard sale will go directly to our local hospital. Equipment purchased ensures that we can stay current in delivering health care delivery. We are in awe of the support of our community.
Just a few reminders. The LHHA Used Bookstore remains open, every Wednesday, and Saturday between 11:00am until 2:00pm. It is located at the back of Christ Church on Main Street in Lion’s Head. Also, the Clothing Drive will be held this year on Saturday, September 13, 9:00am until 2:00pm. This offers a great opportunity to make more room in your closets by donating gently used clothing, linen, purses, and shoes. More details will be made available closer to the date of the event.
The Lion’s Head Hospital Auxiliary again thanks this generous community for supporting our efforts to keep our health care local. Remember, always, this is a team effort. We wish you all a wonderful, healthy and safe summer surrounded by family and friends.
