The 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market drew crowds, streets lined with tables and full of people. On September 23, various Broadway shows and other theater groups assembled from Times Square to 46th Avenue to West 44th to raise money for the fight against AIDS. Navigating through the packed street, passersby could buy an abundance of merchandise, ranging from vintage playbills to brand-new posters. The flea market, set up by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, donates the majority of its proceeds.
This wasn’t your neighborhood garage sale though; the tables alone raised $286, 087. Wicked, the top earner, brought in more than $17,000. The live auctions, offering prizes such as tickets to the movie premiere of Les Miserables and walk-on roles in shows like Chicago or Lion King, were the huge money earners, selling for close to $40,000. Broadway stars also volunteered for the cause, showing up for pictures and autographs, raising a total of $15,533.
The day’s profits totaled a record-breaking $681, 892, shattering last year’s final count by hundreds of thousands. With those kinds of donations, it’s nice to know what the money will be used for. “The money raised Sunday will help ensure that more will have access to health care, medications, and support services,” explains Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids’ executive director, Tom Viola. He adds that this “event is about one thing: helping people in crisis and need.” Upcoming events include Broadway Scares: Night of the Singing Dead on October 28th, a Halloween themed concert, costume contest and dance party. For all of these efforts to fight AIDS, the Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction deserves its own standing ovation.