Dump & Run: Quirky and Cool Collections Ended Last Week (to resume in August)

When local residents call with questions about Dump & Run they often reminisce about how full the dumpsters around campus used to be 10 years ago. They would pull working TVs, power tools, and furniture, wondering at the unnecessary waste resulting from quick student move-outs at the end of each Spring semester. When their parent's cars were packed full, students without the time or means to donate ended up dumping a lot of perfectly good stuff.

Fortunately, local residents also donate beautiful and useful items that they've been meaning to part ways with. The Y is always grateful to receive these contributions because the sales benefit the Y's cause.

This May, the University YMCA celebrates its 10th year of Dump & Run. By holding collections of unwanted goods on campus and offering pick-ups for furniture, the Y is accomplishing three things:

1. Helping students move out.
2. Keeping items like chairs, food, and clothing out of dumpsters.
3. Holding a sale in August as a fundraising event for the Y.

Students were happy to rid themselves of clothes that no longer fit, presents that they never really wanted, furniture that just wouldn't fit in the car, non-perishable food they didn't get around to eating, and books that had served their purpose. The University Y sorted and boxed these items, prepared for the big sale in August!

This year, the Y received some great stuff, and let's be honest - some eyebrow-raising items that no one was sure what to do with. But that's the fun of being involved with Dump & Run - finding treasures and separating out the nonsense. 

More treasures - quirky, functional, and awesome - found this year can be seen on the Y's Flickr set.