Community comes together to honour the memory of two children from St. Andrews

ST.ANDREWS, Man. — The memories of two children who lost their lives in separate tragedies, will continue to be honoured by an entire community.

The fourth annual garage sale in memory of Gordon Anderson and Gracie Herntier Clark is this coming weekend. An event that Gracie started the year before the seven-year-old was mauled to death by two dogs.

RELATED: Manitoba girl mauled to death by dogs

Her grandmother, Ana Herntier, who raised her, said one day Gracie came home and said she wanted to have a garage sale to raise money for her school’s music program. She said there weren’t enough instruments and she wanted to see some more at her school.

That first year, the garage sale, run out of the Herntier garage brought in just over $600. The next year, Gracie died just five weeks before the sale, but it carried on. Now, the sale is in it’s fourth year and it’s so large, Ana Herntier said the garage just couldn’t fit everything.

READ MORE: Community gathers to support little girl’s wish

St. Andrew’s Community Club will be home to the sale this coming weekend, as it was last year. But, it’s more than just a garage sale now. Herntier says for the first time there will be auction items and door prizes to go along with the usual sale, dancing, and face painting.

For a second year, Gordon Anderson’s family has joined in the legacy garage sale, giving their little boy’s name and story a way to be remembered as well. His mother, Lisa Anderson, describing her son as a friendly, happy go lucky kid that loved music just as much as Gracie. In fact, the two knew one another before they died.  Seven year old Gordon, also from St. Andrews, died in a crash in 2012.

View image in full screen

Anyone wanting to stop by the garage sale and community event can go to St. Andrew Community Club Saturday and Sunday May 28 to 29 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.