In February, volunteers start planning the annual rummage sale, the biggest fundraiser of the year at the Hopkinton Senior Center.  They reach out to the community at large for donations of used or new items. 

Items for the sale start arriving April 1. 

Through the generosity of countless Hopkinton residents, the rummage sale contains thousands of items from household appliances and small furniture to kitchen essentials to dinner sets to crystal glasses to clothing, toys and games. 

In recent years, the Senior Center added an outdoor storage container to accommodate the overflow of items that weren't fitting into the oversized garage.  Volunteers sort through the items and categorize and price each one. 

When the sale starts,  hundreds of visitors come to the Senior Center to purchase their treasures.  This sale has become a very popular event for the past five years since it moved to the Senior Center from St. John's Church.

Ellen Wright who has overseen the Rummage Sale from the beginning, sees the sale as an opportunity for the community to be part of an event by donating and purchasing goods.

"It doesn't matter if you are the project manager or the chairperson," Wright said.

"We couldn't do it without the more than 60 volunteers who spend countless hours getting the rummage sale ready."