From Trash to Treasure

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That idea is the principle behind this school’s Junktique event, which finally returned after its two year long hiatus.

The idea of Junktique is simple. It involves the donation of ‘junk,’ and reselling it to make a profit for the school to help with tuition costs and other school needs. This year, in fact, Junktique raised over $30,000.

Junktique’s origins go far beyond this year. “[Junktique] started more than 50 years ago with parents who had sons who went to Catholic High,” said Mrs. Joan Finnegan, who ran Junktique from 2003 to 2019 before the coronavirus caused its hiatus. “And when the [back] gym was added, it grew from there.”

The event’s sudden halt also had another effect on Junktique. “We had already gathered all the stuff for 2019,” said Mrs. Shannon Fratesi, who ran this year’s Junktique event, “and it was all just sitting there in a room waiting for us.”

Junktique involves donating anything that one feels like has no use. “A wide range of items are donated each year,” said Mrs. Finnegan. “Things like furniture, clothes, toys, books, kitchen items, pictures, and lamps, but each year it is always different in exactly what we get donated.”

The Junktique meets many of the school’s needs. “The main goal is to raise money for the school to keep tuition low,” said Mrs. Fratesi, “but it also provides need-based scholarships for students.”

This school showed its support for Junktique through volunteer work. “All the P.E. boys, all the ROTC boys, several seniors, and lots of people in the study halls,” said Mrs. Fratesi.” I mean, I constantly had guys who helped.”

Junktique also contributes outside the school. “I had several bags of clothes and several pieces of furniture that I just had the Compassion Center come and get….I also had boxes for the Humane Society because they’re always looking for blankets and pillows for the dogs and cats,” said Mrs.Fratesi. 

Junktique shows that just because something has passed its use, it can still help. “The main goal is to raise money for the school so that we can keep tuition low, but I thought ‘we’ve got all this stuff,’” said Mrs. Fratesi, “‘and people are going to throw it into their dumpsters. Why not have somebody else who can use that stuff, that way you’re not taking up a landfill’ I’d rather somebody take it home than put it into a dumpster.”

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