When it comes to collectibles, everybody knows that “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” That especially holds true for some hard-working high school students in Fairburn, who hope to strike gold on December 15 with their first swap meet that is set to teach them much more than the importance of bargain hunting. Students in the Sankofa Africana Studies Club at Creekside High School have been selling candies and cakes, taking pledges, making phone calls to businesses, and are now hosting a Community Flea market in their gymnasium in effort to raise enough money to pay for their trip to Kenya, East Africa.

The flea market will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The price of admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students. Donations will be accepted. Food will be for sale all day. Vendor fees are $50 for businesses. For more information or for vendor inquiries call Maria Pinkston at (770) 306-4300 ext. 148.

The flea market is just one of dozens of fundraisers the students are conducting to help meet their goal. Earlier this month challenge letters were mailed to businesses urging them to make a small donation. The fundraising are set to teach a valuable lesson to students. Pinkston hopes that the community will show how much they care by giving something towards the student’s trip. “Even if its $1.00, it all adds up,” says Pinkston. “When it’s time for the students to give back I want them to be able to look at this as a positive experience so, they will not hesitate to pay it forward.”

Sankofa student members hope that the Flea Market will grow larger and larger each year so that more students can continue to participate on journeys to countries within the African Diaspora. Other school clubs who are seeking to subsidize activities and purchases not provided for in the school budget will also be participating in the Flea Market. Under the supervision of the Sankofa Club Advisory Council, students from sponsoring clubs will man the booths themselves and, together with a small core of volunteering teachers, plan to work a six-hour day at the market. Creekside hopes for at least anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 attendees to browse the booths. Outside vendors are welcome to participate.

Lee Lyles, Co-Sponsor for the Sankofa Club, says the Club and fundraisers also serve “as a means for the students to make a significant contribution to their own success, not just by raising money, but increasing confidence and self-esteem as well".

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