Seeds of Hope transforming a long-standing community tradition into a fundraiser for the local homeless shelter by launching the Great Sparta Yard Sale at a new centralized location.
Executive Director Tina Lomax said the organization took over the event this year to serve as a primary fundraiser for the non-profit shelter. Lomax said the new format replaces the former Million Dollar Mile Yard Sale.
“I just think for the city, everyone loves it,” Lomax said. “I think that, you know, people have trash that they want to get rid of and treasures that they want to get rid of. It has been a really good event for our community. It has brought people in from out of town that have come in and visited and brought in revenue for our community. So, we hope that this is, you know, something that continues.”
Lomax said the decision to move away from the previous Bockman Way corridor followed years of complaints from local businesses regarding property maintenance and safety. Lomax said the previous format created traffic concerns and left business owners responsible for cleaning up items left behind by participants.
“We decided that to make everything safe for everyone, that we would have it in one central location, use it as a fundraiser for a nonprofit, so no one is profiting off of this,” Lomax said. “It is still an event. We want it to grow and become a bi-yearly event.”
Lomax said the White County Sports Complex will host the event to provide shoppers and vendors with accessible restrooms and ample parking. Lomax said having all sellers in one location prevents shoppers from missing vendors who were previously scattered throughout the town.
“Everything is going to be kind of, ‘quote-unquote’, under one roof to where you’re not having to drive to different locations,” Lomax said. “It’s going to all be in one central location. And we hope that it’ll bring a better shopping experience for all. So before people may have missed some other people, not seeing or not knowing where they were located throughout the town, and with us all being in one location, I think that that’s going to be better for everyone. Sellers and shoppers.”
Lomax said the name change was necessary because the “Million Dollar Mile” specifically referred to Bockman Way, and organizers did not want to give the false impression that the sale was still occurring along that road. Lomax said the event will now feature 10-by-10 spaces available for $30 plus a $20 refundable fee.
“I hope that it can become an annual event that people look forward to,” Lomax said. “I’ve had plenty of calls already of people from out of town as far as Kentucky wanting to come and shop. And I want people to be able to come into our area and just see how our little town is. Sparta’s a great community. There’s a lot of good people and a lot of good things here. And so, I think just allowing people that time to showcase, whether they’re yard sellers or whether they’re vendors that sell handmade goods, or honeys, or jellies, or jams, or all the things that are going to be there, that people can just see how special Sparta is.”
Lomax said the organization plans to hold the sale twice a year, tentatively scheduled for the first Saturday in April and the first Saturday in November.
The Great Sparta Yard Sale will be held at the White County Sports Complex located at 4201 Smithville Hwy in Sparta, and you can reach out to Seeds of Hope at 931-303-6695 to reserve a space .
