East Auckland’s largest annual community book sale is around the corner and it’s had some major changes that participants need to know about.
The Rotary Club of Howick organises the popular five-day Bookarama sale each year.
It’s on from October 1-5 and gives people a chance to offload their good-condition pre-loved books, puzzles, games, DVDs, CDs, and LPs, which are then sorted and sold, with the proceeds going to local charitable causes.
The first big change to this year’s sale is it’s being held at the Howick College gymnasium instead of at Somerville Intermediate School.
And the second change is to the system for people to register if they’re keen to get in before the rush.
“We have early-bird registrations, which costs $40, and people can do that online at www.bookarama.co.nz,” Howick Rotary Club president Rob Mouncey says.
“If they want to be early-birds and come early, it’s on the Wednesday afternoon from 12pm to 6pm.
“They’ll be with other dealers and people like that from all over New Zealand.
“They’ve got to make a donation of $40.
“Or they can just arrive on the day, on Wednesday afternoon, and buy a token, which costs $40.”
Public entry to the sale is free outside the early-bird timeframe.
Among the key people involved are PlaceMakers Pakuranga manager Sue Kahukore and her selfless team.
Her store donates its space for the storing and sorting of items to be sold.
“We help to trailer everything to the school to take a bit of pressure off the costs of freight and things like that,” Kahukore says.
“We put all the donated items into our backroom to keep it all dry and safe until they’re ready to take it.
“Then whatever day they need it we get it onto trailers and a couple of utes and trailer it up and drop it off.
“It’s just about local support and taking a bit off pressure off the cost.
“At the end of the day it’s a charity and it’s about making sure we look after our local charities that are doing something for our community.”
Mouncey says Howick Rotary is grateful to the support of PlaceMakers Pakuranga for its assistance with the event.
“We give a big shout out for those guys because we wouldn’t be able to run it without them.
“They’re an integral part of our team.”
People can drop off items for the Bookarama sale at the following location:
- Grasslands, 204 Moore Street, Howick
- Stihl Shop Howick, 102 Picton Street, Howick
- PlaceMakers, 481 Pakuranga Road, Highland Park
- Farm Cove Intermediate School, Butley Drive, Pakuranga
- Lawn Heat and Leisure, 64A Ti Rakau Drive, Pakuranga
- The Café Botany Downs, inside Danske Mobler, Botany Town Centre
- Mitre 10 Mega, Bishop Dunn Place Botany
