The Howard Beach Kiwanis Club brought hundreds of book fans out to Crossbay Boulevard over this weekend as they hosted their annual book sale. The annual event is a spinoff from the former successful rummage sale that was held at the same location along 156th Avenue and Crossbay Blvd. for as long as residents can remember.
“I don’t care that it’s not the rummage sale anymore,” Barbara Miller says. “I’ve been coming to this every year since it started. All I ever wanted was the books anyway,” Miller laughs, “now I don’t have to pick through all the other stuff. It’s just books.”
Member Bob LoCascio says the club President Steve Sirgiovanni has plans for many new community events in the upcoming year. “This is a great event,” LoCascio says as he fills a sack with hard and soft covers, “she’s a teacher,” he says of his customer, “and of course, she’s paying out of her own pocket so we’ll give her a deal.”
Joe Trotta, longtime member says the organization is “strictly about community.” The real effort for the event comes in organizing the collection and organization of the books they will offer for sale. “We have to pack it all up, lay it all out and try to sell it—that way we don’t have to pack it up again,” Trotta says with a sly fox grin, “and all the effort pays off. We’ve raised money for so many things.”
Caption:Caught reading on the job, members Joe Trotta and Gene Greco take a minute to peruse the merchandise
