Penn State's sixth annual Trash to Treasure sale, a charity event built on the philanthropic goodwill of the student population, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 26, at Beaver Stadium, University Park.

The annual sale consists of donated items from students that they do not care to transport home. The event's mission is threefold: prevent usable items from winding up in a landfill; save the University the cost of disposing of the material; and give students an opportunity to develop a sense of philanthropy. All proceeds from the sale benefit the 39 human service agencies funded by the Centre County United Way, and the event kicks off the 2007 United Way campaign.

As in past years, early birds pay $5 admission from 7:30 to 9 a.m. for the privilege of cherrypicking the sale. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., admission is free. Bargain hunters enter the stadium at Gate B and exit at Gate C. Inside the stadium, nearly of mile of tables filled with merchandise will be set up under the stands. Outside, a concession stand will be selling food and an informational tent will be set up.

Last year, the sale raised $49,870 for the Centre County United Way. Since its inception, the sale has raised a cumulative $210,000 for charity and has kept 357 tons of solid waste out of the landfills, according to Al Matyasovksy, Central Support Services supervisor of labor and equipment for the Office of Physical Plant and chair of this year's event.

Matyasovsky is expecting some 7,000 to 10,000 bargain hunters to line up at the stadium in advance of the sale. In past years, many people have tailgated in the parking lot before the gates open for the sale.

By sale day, Penn State's Office of Physical Plant will have collected between 65 and 70 tons of donated items, including three to four tons of food that will be donated to area food banks. It takes about 200 man hours of OPP time from when the department starts collecting items from residence halls until the sale is ready to go.

In addition, some 50 Penn State volunteer employees help with sorting, pricing, organizing and unloading the material, according to Carolyn Lambert, associate professor in the School of Hospitality Management and volunteer coordinator. On the community side, nearly 200 volunteers work with Centre County United Way helping with the sale for a total of about 2,200 hours. Volunteers do everything from sorting and pricing to working on sale day as cashiers and crowd control.

On a recent Friday, 75 students from State College Area High School were working at the stadium rolling rugs and sorting and pricing merchandise. They were there to gain community service credit required by the school district. "The kids love this activity," said Melanie Lynch, who teaches health education and is a volunteer coordinator at State High. "It is a huge event. They can see instantly how much impact they have and how they're needed."

This year's sale runs the gamut of the student experience at Penn State, from brand-name jeans and outer clothing to athletic apparel, shoes, appliances, furniture, sports equipment and electronics. A walk along the stadium concourse reveals a wonderland of merchandise. Phalanxes of floor fans three deep are lined along an elevated walkway.

Oodles of office chairs stand guard outside an enclosure full of furniture -- futons, coffee table, chairs and bookshelves. Lava lamps and goose-necked lamps crowd a table while floor lamps with colorful shades stand in a bunch like a post-modern flock of flamingoes.

Elsewhere at the stadium, areas are devoted to the students' domestic experience. An army of vacuums and Dust Busters, priced from $2 to $5, stand in mute testimony to moms who wanted their kids to have clean rooms. Whole tables are filled with laundry detergents and cleaning supplies, while nearby steam irons, toasters, blenders, rice cookers and other small kitchen appliances populate several tables.

In the clothing areas, Eddie Bauer and Aeropostole jeans are priced to sell at $4 each, while sweaters cost $2 and young women can buy tops for 50 cents each. In the accessory area, fashion belts are coiled like colorful snakes, while handbags, hats and chic sunglasses are organized by color and style.

Electronics are well represented, too. The Jordan Center has donated a number of digital cameras, iPods and binoculars that have been languishing unclaimed for quite some time in lost-and-found, according to Lambert. Students also have donated a number of televisions, phones, computers, monitors, stereos, speakers and electronic games.

Merchandise is priced to get it out the door. "We try to price them as fairly as possible with the idea that we want as many pieces to leave the venue in the hands of as many people who can use the goods as possible," said Pam Stellabotte, United Way's communications director. "T-shirts are $1, jeans are $2 and $4 depending on the brand. Almost everything is priced very modestly."

The success of the Trash to Treasure sale has sparked interest from other facilities. This year, Penn State Altoona is collecting student material for a sale on June 9. Elsewhere, the University of Missouri is planning its own Tiger Treasure Sale based on what they learned at University Park last year, Matyasovsky said.

Representatives from Michigan State plan to attend and the city of Aberdeen, Md., is sending its public works staff to observe the sale. Representatives from Indiana University of Pennsylvania already have been to campus to learn more about the program, and folks from OPP plan to make a presentation in July at the University of Arizona.

In addition, Penn State student group Eco-Action has taken the collection campaign to town to encourage students who live in off-campus housing to donate materials to the sale, Matyasovsky said. "The students are the heroes," said Matyasovsky. "Without their generosity, we wouldn't have a sale."

The event is very significant for United Way. "This is a wonderful town-and-gown thing," Stellabotte said. "It's grown into a real community effort. It raises money for the Centre County United Way and at the same time, it really helps Penn State to save materials from going to the landfill. It's become a real green initiative."

5/25/2007