Sample sale gives life to the old Ballard library

Updated: The store will now be open until January 8th, 2012.

Earlier: Nearly 20 years ago, Diana Park held her first sample sale. Being in the retail industry she saw how many items went unsold so she decided to take advantage of the overstock and raise money for a charity that’s close to her heart.

This year, Park is holding her sample sale in Ballard – at the old library on 24th Ave NW – and hopes to raise $40,000 for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids (DIFFA) and Gift for Life. Park sat on the board for DIFFA before realizing that she enjoys being a “doer” more than being a board member.

The old Ballard Library (5711 24th Ave NW), which has sat vacant since Abraxus Books moved out in 2009, is the largest space Park has had in her years of holding this fundraiser.

From the looks of all the boxes, she has plenty of merchandise to fill the shelves. “People give us their left overs and we turn it into money for charity,” Park tells us. The sample sale includes holiday decor, books, gifts, toys and home accessories. Items sold in the front of the space near 24th Avenue NW will be for the non-profit, the items in the back of the store will go toward rent and employee pay.

The store will open November 9th and close December 23rd. It will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, when it will be closed.

At the beginning of next year, Park tells us, developers plan to demolish the old building and make way for a new apartment complex called “Ballard West.”