KEY POINTS:
A bargain hunter's heaven will open its doors at the ASB Showgrounds tonight to raise an expected $500,000 for the campaign against domestic violence.
Pianos will be going for $50 to $100, guitars from $40, bikes for $5 and a hall full of homeware for $1 apiece in
the giant "Get Organised Auckland" event for the anti-violence agency Preventing Violence in the Home.
About 20,000 people are expected to snap up more than one million items donated by thousands of Aucklanders over the past three months.
The size of the event is comparable with a similar giant sale in New York's Central Park that raised US$500,000 ($757,000) for city schools in 2004.
"I don't think there has been anything comparable in New Zealand on this scale," said spokeswoman Lynley Kirk-Smith as Warriors rugby league players and an army of other volunteers set up items for sale yesterday.
"So good old Aucklanders, they really do know how to get behind a cause after all."
Goods collected by volunteering trucking firms include furniture, crockery, clothing, blankets, books, videos, toys, games, paintings, antique collectibles, suitcases and surfboards.
Proceeds from the sale will go to a domestic violence helpline, 0508 DVHELP (0508 384-357), a "child crisis team" to counsel children caught in the middle of domestic violence and publicity to raise awareness of family violence.
New Zealand has one of the world's worst rates of child homicide and 40 of the country's 109 homicides last year were classed as family violence.
Warriors front-row player Evarn Tuimavave said he hoped the event would help to stop violence in the home.
"Reading the Herald a couple of weeks ago, a lady died from that," he said. "Everyone's pushing to do something about it."
Teammate Grant Rovelli said: "We think it's a good thing for the whole club to be behind it. We are doing our bit."
* A map and guide will be published as an eight-page tabloid in the Weekend Herald tomorrow.
NZ's biggest garage sale
* More than one million items.
* More than $1 million in goods and services donated by businesses.
* 5000 square metres of stalls.
* 20 trucks from 10 companies collected goods.
* 66 sponsors and supporting companies.
* Eight months of preparation.
* 20,000 visitors expected.
* 500 volunteers.
* $500,000 expected profits for Preventing Violence in the Home.
* Four top fashion labels donating garments.
* Eight pianos for sale.
