WATCH ABOVE: Beds used by athletes at the Pan-Am games in Toronto are being sold at a reasonable price, as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. Global’s Ray Bradshaw reports.
DARTMOUTH – If you’re looking for a slightly used single bed, “Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia” has a few hundred for sale. The beds were used by athletes at the Pan-Am games in Toronto this summer and are being sold as a fundraiser for the organization.
Two trucks delivered 220 beds today to Habitat’s ReStore in Burnside. It’s hoped they sell quickly.
“It’s perfect. We got four universities right here in metro, not to mention all of the other ones around the province,” said Marie-France LeBlanc, the CEO at Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia.
LeBlanc said customers can be reassured the beds are in good condition. “They’ve been checked, they’ve been tested. I’m guessing there’s some mattresses that didn’t make the cut, so we know that these are good mattresses, that have been just gently used, and they’ve been cleaned and they’ve been re-wrapped.”
Diane Maskell is a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, and said she’s already pre-sold about ten beds to students. “There’s a lot of college students looking for futons and that, and instead we have these and they’re bang on,” said Maskell. “Everybody is happy to see this. Delivery is ten dollars within the Halifax Regional Municipality of course, but if there are four of you in a room, there’s one fee, ten dollars, and we’ll deliver those four beds to you.”
The single beds are selling for $125, frame included, and no tax. So what about the quality?
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“The Pan-Am organizers obviously had very specific requirements,” said LeBlanc. “They had athletes that were going to be sleeping on these mattresses, so we’re pretty confident that they good quality.”
Leanne Oake bought one of the beds for her son who turns 13 tomorrow. “He was just in need of a better bed, so we said, why not, it’s a good steal – $125 isn’t too bad, especially for mattress and a frame for the bed. Who knows, it could be a future athlete sleeping in the bed.”
Money raised from the sale of the beds will go to the many projects of Habitat for Humanity. “We use that money to build homes to allow families to have home ownership,” said LeBlanc, “so this year we’re building eight homes for eight families.”
The ReStore is open six days a week.
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