Jonathan Zarov
Madison, Wis. — The 30th annual American Girl Benefit Sale will take place July 22 and 23. Proceeds benefit American Girl’s Fund for Children, which supports dozens of organizations working on behalf of children in the area, and Madison Children’s Museum. Sale hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday. The sale is held at the benefit sale warehouse in Middleton at 8830 N. Greenview Drive.
Tickets are now available online for Saturday’s sale. On Sunday, tickets for first-hour, 8 to 9 a.m., are sold out, however shoppers can get a free ticket on-site for the remainder of the Sunday Mark-Down Sale, which runs until noon.
This year’s sale will offer considerably more quantity and variety than previous years, due to the generosity of American Girl.
“Volunteers are busy preparing truckloads of American Girl dolls and accessories for the sale, and the warehouse is stacked high with more merchandise than we’ve seen in a long while,” says Lisa Clark, sale manager for the children’s museum. “Given the huge quantities, we’re pricing it to move.”
Items are not held back from the sale floor, so there are no guarantees that any particular item will be available at a given time. But more inventory means more items will be available later in the day on Saturday and into Sunday. Shopper limits on items will be generally higher than in previous years. Saturday tickets will continue to be sold through the afternoon of Friday, July 21, or until sold out. The first phase of ticket sales was managed through a mail-in lottery.
The American Girl Benefit Sale is a unique fundraiser with deep roots in the Madison community, rich history, and a record of success. Last year’s sale raised over $900,000 and attracted over 5,000 shoppers from all over the country. Over the past 29 years, Madison Children’s Museum has restored and resold returned merchandise and overstock donated by American Girl/Mattel. The benefit sale serves as the children’s museum’s largest fundraiser and has raised approximately $23 million. A dedicated corps of 150 museum volunteers work year-round to prepare for the event, with an additional 150 volunteers joining on-site during the sale. More than 32,000 volunteer hours are logged annually.
“This is an amazing collaboration that would not work without the passion and dedication of American Girl/Mattel, our volunteers, and our customers,” says Deb Gilpin, president and CEO of the museum. “We’re all focused on raising funds to benefit children in our community. But the sale also has a life of its own. After nearly 30 years putting on this event, the stories and memories we hear span generations and every aspect of life.”
Ticket costs:
Saturday, all day, $8 per person
Sunday, 8 – 9 a.m., $20 per person, SOLD OUT
Sunday, after 9 a.m., free entry — free, numbered tickets will be handed out on-site starting at 8 a.m.
