Kait’s Angels annual community yard sale beneficiaries named

On Saturday, Sept. 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the seventh annual Kait’s Angels community yard sale will take place at 1125 Ole Jule Lane in Mattituck. 

Darla and Joe Doorhy, co-founders of Kait’s Angels, host this event each year to raise money for families or individuals on the North Fork who are in need. This year, the two recipients are Alex Boergesson of Southold and Madaline “Maddy” Cavaluzzi of Calverton.

Mr. Boergesson, 28, is living with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, which is essentially a form of epilepsy. He has a pacemaker and suffers from seizures; “his list of surgeries goes on and on,” said Ms. Doorhy.

Kait’s Angels has been trying to help Ms. Cavaluzzi, who is in her 60s, for three years, but she has declined each time. This year, she lost the use of her left leg and arm and became wheelchair-bound — and her sister recommended her one more time. The Angels were happy to help.

Kait’s Angels accepts email requests for financial support from the community yard sale that explain why the individual or family needs their help. A point system determines who is in the greatest need. If the candidate comes highly recommended by a friend of the Angels, that, too, is taken into consideration. 

The foundation will split all the money raised during this year’s community yard sale between Mr. Boergesson and Ms. Cavaluzzi. 

“We accept everything from household items to children’s clothes and toys,” said Ms. Doorhy. “We don’t accept large furniture or bedroom sets.” 

Volunteers will be on hand to accept donations Friday, Sept. 8, between 4 and 6 p.m. at the Doorhy residence. “It’s pretty organized. We have tables and a lot of volunteers, and we go through what they want to drop off,” said Ms. Doorhy. 

In addition to large furniture, they will not accept TVs or computers, exercise and medical equipment, skis or any other large items. The last hour of the yard sale, from noon to 1 p.m., prices switch to “all you can carry” for only $20. “It helps me get rid of the stuff,” said Ms. Doorhy. 

The Doorhys’ daughter Kaitlyn, namesake of the foundation, often said, “We are all given two hands: one for helping ourselves, one for helping others,” and Kait’s Angels strives to represent this motto every day. The community yard sale is a perfect example. 

“We like to raise as much as we can,” said Ms. Doorhy, “All the money we raise stays on the North Fork. We have a saying, ‘What’s raised on the North Fork stays on the North Fork.’ ”

Mr. Doorhy makes breakfast and lunch for all the volunteers, and on Saturday there will also be a raffle, a lottery tree and more to help raise extra money. Ms. Doorhy called for donations of “gently used treasures” and asked that people come together and support a good cause. 

“Come buy a raffle ticket and help a family in need,” she said.