Notre Dame gets rid of Old2Gold sale, gives donations to Goodwill instead

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - A Michiana mainstay is going away. Notre Dame’s famous “Old 2 Gold” sale is no more.

The university announcing all those year-end donations from students’ dorm rooms will now be given the right to Goodwill, instead of holding the regular annual garage sale event for the community.

Many may remember the Old2Gold sale Notre Dame Puts on every year.

Notre dame students leaving in June donate items from their dorm rooms. The sale was held at the St. Joseph County fairgrounds the last couple of years.

The huge sale draws thousands each year and all the money raised goes to local charities.

The items will still benefit charity, but the sale is no more.

“Over the years, the university has realized that it’s become a pretty major undertaking for them so we’ve been really fortunate and blessed to take care of this part of their work as the semester closes up every year and students leave lots of items behind,” Guy Fisher, the Vice President of Mission Advancement with Goodwill said.

Lots of items, Fisher says many in the community can get highly discounted prices.

“You can imagine just the amount of items that are left,” Fisher said. “There’s lots. There are lots,” he continued. “It’s furniture and bicycles and clothing.”

And now those items can be found in Goodwills all over Northern Indiana.

“They will be dispersed among all of our stores. We have 23 retail locations here in Northwestern Indiana,” he said.

Fisher said it’s easier for the customer.

Think about if you’ve gone to the old gold sale and you’ve gotten up at 3 in the morning to stand in line. You can just come to Goodwill now and do the shopping because those items will be coming here,” he said.

Goodwill has always helped Notre Dame with the event. All of the items that weren’t sold were given to Goodwill. Now, it’s a streamlined effort.

And residents tell ABC57 it seems like a good idea.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Quin Matthys, one resident said. “It’s easier cause now it’s available more than just the week or whatever that they were doing it.”

“I think it’s important for donations because it helps other people out more,” Hannah Strasburg, another resident said. “I go to goodwill all the time so yeah I think it’s cool.”

“It sounds like if it’s growing and it’s going to get bigger and it’s a good thing, it’s great to see it grow,” Noah Jackson, another resident said.

“Everybody wins,” Fisher said. “In this donation now we’re going to be able to provide the community really cool items which in then turn, going to fuel the programs that we do such as our nursing program for first-time moms working through our excel center, high school program. It’s going to fund some of our deeper programs we have such as group violence intervention and youth programming

The donations come in around June when Notre Dame students are leaving campus for the summer.

So, this year, if you’re trying to find that couch or bookbag left behind, you’re going to have to do so at Goodwill.