Home » News

Citywide rummage sale will support Promise Zone

Published: Friday, October 2, 2009

By RANDAL YAKEY
Of The Oakland Press

PONTIAC - Residents, businesses and churches are being asked to join in the citywide rummage sale to benefit the Pontiac Promise Zone. The sale is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 18. The Pontiac Regional Chamber is teaming up with the Greater Pontiac Community Coalition and POH Regional Medical Center's Riley Foundation to help raise funds for the Pontiac Promise Zone Scholarship Fund.

The City of Pontiac has been identified as a Promise Zone location, and must raise $750,000 in order to send all students in the district to college for free.

Churches and households from across the city are being asked to sell unwanted items and donate the funds to the Pontiac Promise Zone Scholarship Fund.

"We're going to do two annually," said Dawnaree Demrose, president of the Pontiac Regional Chamber. "We're not going to have it at central location the first time out. We want people to have a block parties. We'll have directional signs. We are hoping businesses will make donations."

Demrose said she wants city residents to have fun with the idea of a citywide rummage sale.

"This is a fun and easy opportunity for our entire community to participate in a cause that is good for the future of our children," Demrose said.

The Michigan Promise Zone Act allows local communities to create funding mechanisms that will increase college education opportunities for graduates in the public school system by providing free college tuition to in-state schools.

The creation of the Promise Zone will be authorized throughout the state in areas that have a combination of low rates of educational attainment and high rates of poverty and unemployment.

It is expected to help open the door for high school students of low-income families experiencing unemployment or those who simply cannot afford to send their children to college.

Kevin Thompson, originator of the rummage sale, and Pontiac Regional Chamber staff are working together to organize the event.

"We're trying to get the community and individuals, on a grassroots level, to help fund the Promise Zone and send their kids to college," said Thompson. "We are also trying to get a database or a search engine on the chamber's Web site where you can type in a widget or a washing machine and see where it is instead of driving all over town."

Thompson said he isn't sure if the database will be up for the rummage sale in two weeks, but said it most likely will be up for a spring rummage sale. The spring dates have not been set.

Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills is supporting the effort to help deserving students earn a college education and new skills for 21st century jobs.

FYI

To register to participate in the rummage sale, call Johnathan Moss at the Pontiac Regional Chamber (248) 335-9600 or visit www.pontiacchamber.com.

Contact staff writer Randal Yakey at (248) 745-4631 or randal.yakey@oakpress.com.