Garage sale aims to 'Save 2nd Base'

Everyone remembers what it was like to be a teenager and go on your first date. Often, it consisted of awkward hand-holding and a lot of silence because you were both too shy to speak or actually look at each other.

But as you got older the dates went more smoothly, and that’s when a well-known baseball analogy would usually come into play when you told your friends all about it.

“Did you get to second base?” they’d likely ask.

If you can’t quite recall what second base is, you’ll remember it pretty quickly once you hear the name of a local group hosting a garage sale fundraiser for a particular type of cancer. Though the disease is serious, the name — Save 2nd Base — remains lighthearted.

“You can just see the reaction on peoples’ faces when you tell them. At first they’re like, ‘That’s nice,’ and then you see the light bulb go off,” organizer Nancy Falk said with a laugh.

Falk is piggybacking on a campaign from Pennsylvania that created the entertaining term. She and her crew of about 15 family members and friends will be sporting some interesting T-shirts during their garage sale this weekend in hopes of drawing extra attention to breast cancer.

“Cancer is serious but we can’t let it take away our sense of humor,” Falk said.

Falk’s sister, Laurie Jorgensen, is going on her sixth year of surviving breast cancer. Jorgensen was the inspiration for Falk to create a team for the 2012 Mississippi Shuffle, which will be Aug. 10-11 this summer at Bay Point Park.

Fundraising for the “Save 2nd Base” team got in full swing after the group decided to join in the excitement of this year’s 100-mile garage sale. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday, clothing, toys, jewelry, instruments and dozens of other knickknacks will be up for grabs at 31587 Lakeview Ave., Wacouta.

After catching wind of the fact that all of the proceeds are benefiting a positive cause, several people approached Falk with items they were interested in contributing to the sale. Some of those include an antique carriage, organ and Fender guitar.

“We’ve received a lot of incredible donations,” Falk said.

One donation in particular represents the breast cancer efforts especially well.

Five hundred ribbon-shaped cookies — topped with pink sugar crystals — were given to “Save 2nd Base” by Hanisch Bakery and are being sold at the garage sale.

“I like trying to help out as much as possible,” bakery owner Bill Hanisch said, adding that he personally knows someone who is battling stage 3 breast cancer. “We do a lot of cookies, so for us, 500 isn’t that many.”

The treats are just one more thing that will help draw focus to the fundraising garage sale and the Mississippi Shuffle team “Save 2nd Base.”

Ironically, around the same time the team was being developed and plans for the sale were in the works, Jorgensen ended up getting a special invitation from the Mississippi Shuffle committee.

She has attended the event in the past and been in charge of the survivor tent for years. This time, however, Jorgensen will enjoy a little more spotlight while being recognized as the honorary chairperson for the shuffle on Aug. 10.

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