Sierra Club - Falls of the James Group

It is time to start preparing for the Sierra Club Falls of the James Group major fundraiser and recycling event - The Big Yard Sale. Every May after the University of Richmond's graduation, Sierra Club partners with the university's Rethink Waste program to collect and repurpose student discards and keep them out of the landfill. If interested, please sign up to volunteer here**.** 2026 Big Yard Sale (BYS) Volunteer Registration Volunteers will be required to sign a Sierra Club waiver.
While there are volunteer shifts all week from Monday, May 11 until Saturday, May 16th, our particular need is for Monday, May 11th, when we collect the donated items. Please make every effort to register for that date if you are available.

It is important to note that the Big Yard Sale will be held in a new location this year. We will be in the Weinstein Recreation Center at 361 College Road. Parking will be adjacent to the Weinstein Recreation Center and is identified as lot C61.

When you sign up for your shift, you may get a confirmation letter that indicates you will be working all day. Ignore that. It is an unavoidable glitch in the system. You will only be expected to work the shift you sign up for.

Please contact Joe Brancoli joebsierra@gmail.com or Lisa Thompson lisacthompson@verizon.net if you have any questions. Please include your telephone number with any questions that you send.

What is the Big Yard Sale? It is a 27-year partnership with the University of Richmond and our major fundraiser and community engagement event. Each year, we demonstrate our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle by collecting student discards for a community yard sale at the college. We divert truckloads of items from the landfill and either sell them to the public or donate them to local charities.

Proceeds from the sale are used for monthly program honorariums, yearly Green Giant Awards, monetary donations to worthy environmental organizations in our area, and other club expenses. It takes a lot of volunteers to collect, sort and conduct the community sale. It's a great way to get to know other people while doing meaningful work. Hope to see you there!