Alzheimer society holds annual used book sale

By Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, Demii Niles and Jody Jakab

BELLEVILLE – Book lovers of all ages came out to support the Hastings-Prince Edward Alzheimer Society at its annual used book sale this week.

It’s been over 20 years that the society has been running the book sale. This week it took place at the Bay View Mall from Tuesday to Thursday.

Amelia Huffman, the society’s fund development co-ordinator, attributes the success of the sale to the Belleville community.

Clara Quinn donated books for the sale and also bought some. Photo by Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, QNet News

“We’ve been very fortunate to never run short of books,” Huffman said. “It’s usually the other way around – we have a surplus.”

The society accepts up to five boxes of books per donor. The leftover books are either sent off to other charities or recycled.

“We try not to repeat with those books, because we find that a lot of our customers will notice and they want different books. And as we get so many, we can’t hang to what’s left over,” said Huffman.

There were around 30 volunteers involved with the sale. Some were responsible for setup and sorting, while others were pricing the books or selling them.

The society hopes to raise between $3,000 and $4,000. Last year, it raised around $14,000 in three book sales. The funds go to local families, education events, workshops, one-on-one visits, health care and support groups.

Each day the prices differed. On Tuesday, the prices were as marked. Huffman said $2,100 was raised on Tuesday, which was exceptional for the first day of the sale. On Wednesday, all books were half price, and on Thursday people could fill their bags for $5.

The book sale has “had quite a long journey,” she said. “It’s just what we are known for, so we keep doing it.”

For Glenn Lynch, the book sale is a good opportunity to save money on books. Photo by Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, QNet News

Clara Quinn, a 22-year-old Loyalist College graduate from Carrying Place, was one of the people buying books Wednesday. She said she thinks the event does a great job of raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer disease. Quinn loves reading, so buying books at a reduced rate was appealing to her.

“I always donate books, so six months ago I donated three boxes to the sale,” she said, adding that she is already looking forward to the next sale.

Another Loyalist College grad, Glenn Lynch, was also positive about the sale as he looked through the books.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing. If you can raise money for a good cause, no matter what the cause is, this is a definitely good thing. And for readers such as myself, it’s excellent to pick up on books. It’s always a good thing to save money.”