Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20200810

a30 feature
Monday 10 august 2020
Virus resistant: World’s Longest Yard Sale still lines roads

By JAY REEVES tips for vendors, maps and,
Associated Press for 2020, pandemic health
GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) — For guidelines.
decades, thousands of Also known as the 127 Yard
vendors have fanned out Sale, the event follows U.S.
along roadsides from Ala- 127 from near Addison,
bama to Michigan each Michigan, to Chattanoo-
summer to haggle over the ga, Tennessee, through
prices of old Coca-Cola Ohio and Kentucky. From
bottles, clothes, toys, knives there, it meanders through
and more at The World's northwest Georgia to Noc-
Longest Yard Sale. calula Falls, a 250-acre
And though the coronavirus (100-hectare) public park
pandemic has canceled in Gadsden.
events around the globe, Patricia Gurley piled into
the six-state yard sale is a car with two friends and
happening this weekend drove about 170 miles (275
for the 34th straight year. kilometers) miles to the
Beginning Thursday and Gadsden end of the sale
ending Sunday, thousands from her home in Corinth,
of people will mingle, Mississippi. With a yellow
chat and bargain across mask pulled down under
a 690-mile-long (1,110 ki- her chin, she was excited
lometer) stretch of Middle about visiting the sale for
America. Organizers say A crowd looks through items at the World's Longest Yard Sale, which stretches from Alabama to the first time and wasn't
they might not get the Michigan, at its southernmost point in Gadsden, Ala., on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. concerned about the pan-
usual crowd, estimated at Associated Press demic.
200,000 people, but they "I don't worry about that. If
could. "We feel like there's you're gonna get it, you're
a lot of pent-up demand," gonna get it," she said.
said Hugh Stump III, execu- Nicole Gerle came even
tive director of tourism in further: She drove 2,075
Gadsden, at the southern- miles (3,340 kilometers)
most end of the sale. from her home in San Di-
The crowd was predomi- ego and planned to travel
nantly older on the first day the route at least to Ohio,
in Gadsden, and many maybe even all the way to
people wore face masks Michigan.
and visibly tried to keep Wearing a mask, Gerle said
away from others. CO- she wasn't fretting over the
VID-19, the illness caused coronavirus: "If other peo-
by the coronavirus, can be ple aren't going to be smart,
particularly dangerous for I'm going to be smart on my
the elderly and people with side." But Gerle was worried
other health problems. about getting good deals
But many others didn't on items including a metal
wear facial coverings, and basket she planned to take
it wasn't uncommon to see home, repurpose into other
people standing shoulder- goods and sell.
to-shoulder as they looked "The purchasing is liveli-
through racks of clothes or hood for me and the selling
tables full of shoes set up A crowd looks through items at the World's Longest Yard Sale, which stretches from Alabama to is livelihood for them," she
outside. Promoters consid- Michigan, at its southernmost point in Gadsden, Ala., on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. said, pointing toward sales
ered canceling the event Associated Press tables. "People make their
because of the pandemic, people's livelihood it's very Ansonia, Ohio, decided farm machines, but mem- income; they count on this."
which has killed more than important," sale spokes- against allowing vendors bers didn't want to be put Vendor Ann Sullins has set
160,000 Americans and man Josh Randall said in on its 30 acres (12 hectares) in the position of dealing up shop at the past five
infected nearly 5 million an email. of land, President Jo Stuck with people who willfully sales and was thankful this
more, but they decided to Vendors set up days early said. "To keep up with all defy Ohio's mandatory year's wasn't called off. But
go ahead with precautions at Cumberland Moun- the health mandates … we mask rule, Stuck said. realistically, she said, the
including reminders about tain General Store in just do not have the vol- "There are a lot of people yard sale is just too big to
masks, social distancing Clarkrange, Tennessee, unteers to do it this year," around here that have an cancel. "People are going
and hand-washing. where as many as 100 she said. "The two of us issue with it and don't want to do just like they do," said
"The fact that it's a mostly booths will be open though who can be there all the to follow it," she said. "It's a Sullins, who wasn't wearing
outdoor event was a large the weekend. time have compromised big problem." a mask but tried to keep
determining factor in going "It's usually packed here," immune systems, and that The yard sale began in her distance from others
forward. There's plenty of store clerk June Walker puts our health at risk plus 1987 as a way to lure visitors and had hand sanitizer.
space for social distancing said. the health of our visitors off interstate highways to a "When something like this
and the other guidelines Other places opted out this and our vendors." small town in Tennessee. No comes up, they're going
can be followed as well. year because of the virus. The loss of rental income one owns the event, Ran- to go out and do it just be-
In addition, because this The Darke County Steam will hurt the group, which dall said, but it's promoted cause it gives them a break
event is critical to many Threshers Association in stages events featuring old on a website that includes from home."q