Our First Great Gear Swap was a Success

Thanks to our partnership with Naperville Park District, partial funding from the Naperville Special Events and Community Arts (SECA) program, and the generous donation of sports equipment from the community, our first Great Gear Swap was a success.

Here are some stats:

• 526 items, ranging from lacrosse balls to baseball bats to tennis rackets, were donated or swapped by the community.

• Of these, 309 were sold or swapped at the event.

• Nearly all of the remaining items were donated to Soccer Gear for Zambia, Illinois Association for Health, PE, Recreation, and Dance after the event.

The swap was a win-win-win: families saved money, useable equipment was kept out of the landfill, and the environmental impact of making new gear was avoided.

Our event volunteers received many positive comments during the sale, such as, "What a great idea!" and "I'm so glad you're doing this!"

We look forward to working with Naperville Park District again next year for the 2nd annual Great Gear Swap!