Handbag auction will aid American Cancer Society

ST. PARIS — It’s a clear sign spring has arrived when purses and handbags start showing up on Brenda Cook’s property while she sleeps.

As a Champaign County co-chair for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, Cook organizes an unusual auction on the Sunday before Palm Sunday every year.

“This morning when I woke up there was a bag of purses on my front porch,” Cook said.

On Sunday, April 10, Cook and Cathlyn Adkins will host an annual Old Bag Sale, to raise funds for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Dozens of purses have been donated throughout the county, and by the end of the day Sunday almost all of them will be gone. Some of the most well-known brands have sold in the past for close to $200, while others will be picked up for as little as $5.

“I’ve made over $2,000 every year,” Cook said of the money raised for the charity.

The idea started in 2005 when one of Cook’s friends suggested selling off a few of the unusual purses Cook had collected over the years. Not long afterward, a mother-in-law of one of Cook’s friends died of cancer. The woman had collected numerous expensive purses as well, and the first sale in Cook’s back yard drew a good crowd. It’s continued to raise money for the Relay for Life ever since, she said.

Local auctioneer Phil Thompson will run the event and refreshments will also be available for a small donation.

Cook said the purses will be arranged on several tables, and the highest bidder will get to choose their favorite item. By the end of the auction, those purses that have not yet sold will be available for $5 apiece.

Cook said because of support from local residents, the event has been a success from the beginning.

“The first year we did it in my backyard because we didn’t know what to expect,” Cook said.