On Our Radar: Tri-Cities tools, crafts garage sale to benefit families in Africa

There's a special garage sale taking place in the Tri-Cities this weekend.

Two local branches of the Men's Shed Association of British Columbia have teamed up to sell tools, household goods and hand-crafted trinkets to improve their community services, as well as struggling families in 15 African countries.

The Coquitlam and Port Moody Men's Sheds' inaugural yard/garage sale is set to benefit their ongoing workshop services, which includes mentorship and mental health benefits.

As well, other proceeds will earmarked for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Since it's inception in 2006, the non-profit supports African elders and the orphaned children they raised in the wake of the AIDS pandemic across the continent.

"They raise funds in their communities to support the life-enhancing programs run by grandmothers in Africa and the community-based organizations who support them," the campaign's statement reads on its website.

The garage sale will feature the Burnaby Gogos — a group of volunteer grandmothers and 'grandothers' — and all proceeds from their sales will be earmarked for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

The local Men's Shed societies add the event is will also be hosted indoors by the families of the Sunrise Terrace subdivision, located at 2910 Norman Ave.

Hours for the garage sale on Saturday (July 16) are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, you're encouraged to email Doug Gale with the Coquitlam Men's shed: [email protected]. 

In early May, the Port Moody Men's Shed branch officially opened as the 20th in all of B.C. after converting Charlie’s Shop at the Station Museum from a storage shed to a functioning workshop where they can gather and tinker on woodworking and repair projects.

Men's Shed societies started in Australia and New Zealand in the 1990s to provide men a place to commune with each other as they kept their hands busy with handyman projects.

On Our Radar is a thing we do when we're looking forward to an event or think the public should be aware of. Think you have something for it? Email us at [email protected].

- with files from Mario Bartel, Tri-City News