Scoring a bargain a charitable act

Christine Oliver, of Dunedin, hunts out a bargain at the 25th annual Rotary book sale in Alexandra yesterday.

She is one of several hundred people to have already attended the sale, which ends on Sunday.

Rotarian and book sale convener Ken Cook said $10,000 was made on the first day of the sale, on Boxing Day, and he hoped the figure would double by the time the sale ends. The first day's takings were slightly down on past years, and Mr Cook is hoping for some rain at the weekend to ''bring people inside''.

With between 40 and 50 tonnes of books, the sale at the Alexandra Community Centre is to raise money for Rotary's ''charitable purposes'', he says. Most of it would be spent locally, a little nationally and a little on international projects.

It is the second year the sale has been held at the community centre, after moving from the now demolished St Enochs Church Hall.