By JENNIFER PLOTTER

Blue Star Highway

The Designers’ Guild of Southwest Michigan kicked off a fundraising effort for Boys and Girls clubs in Benton Harbor and Chicago last Saturday in New Buffalo. The organization will also host a Designer Garage Sale May 27-29 in New Buffalo. Photos courtesy of Blue Star Highway

Saturday, March 26 marked a celebration of the upcoming Designers’ Guild of Southwest Michigan Designer Garage Sale. Co-chairs John Cannon and Cary Frank shared their lakefront home to host Saturday’s party, along with co-chair Suellen Long, to bring attention to the guild’s first major charitable fundraising effort. The setting showcased amazing views of Lake Michigan from this serene beachfront getaway.

The inaugural Designer Garage Sale will take place Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29 at 601 West Buffalo St. in New Buffalo, with all proceeds benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor and the Robert R. McCormick Boys and Girls Club of Chicago.

The garage sale offers an opportunity for all to shop quality furniture, new and vintage fashion, unique collectibles, decorative accessories and fine art from the world’s leading designers, retailers, showrooms, galleries and manufacturers — at a fraction of traditional retail cost.

The Garage Sale will be open to the public for $5 Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The proceeds of the three-day event will not only support the day-to-day programs offered to children of all ages at both Boys and Girls Club sites, but also allow each club to more readily expand.

One of the goals of the Designers’ Guild and its co-chairs is to provide another fundraising opportunity for these two organizations, enabling them to continue their support of communities throughout Harbor Country and Chicagoland.

“These two clubs have many synergies, serving nearly 300 kids daily,” said Long. “We got a group of folks in various areas of design together and hope to impact young people in both Michigan and Chicago that need financial support and inspiration.”

The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor was founded in 1999 to provide a safe, positive and constructive place for area youth. A great measure of its success is a 92 percent high school graduation rate among members. The Robert R. McCormick Boys and Girls Club of Chicago has been an anchor of hope, fun and stability in the lives of Chicago’s Uptown Community youth since 1958.

For those who can’t wait to see what the garage sale has to offer, a preview party on Friday, May 27 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. will allow attendees the opportunity to peruse and purchase garage sale items before the event opens to the public. Tickets are $75 and include VIP access, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

For more information about this opportunity to give back to the community, contact Suellen Long at (773) 989-5702 or suellen.long@bridgeview bank.com.