Each year, the City of Ripon sponsors a citywide yard sale.

But that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The October event was set to be canceled before Kailene Espinoza stepped in.

“She took it upon herself to organize the community yard sale complete with advertising and a map for people to add their address,” said Councilman Leo Zuber at the Oct. 13 Ripon City Council meeting.

He was amazed at the response.

All told, over 70 residents – as listed on the Google map – took part in the yard sale held on Oct. 10.

They did so, both sellers and buyers, following the COVID protocols of wearing facemasks and practicing social distancing.

“This was something that the community wanted and Espinoza pulled it together,” Zuber said. “It was amazing.”

About a month earlier, she posted on Facebook her concerns of the impending yard sale cancellation.

“Ripon has canceled this year’s October Citywide Yard Sale – I will be putting together a Google map that will be posted on all local yard sales on the Facebook pages,” said Espinoza, who got the idea from Escalon.

“They had someone doing it for their city since (the Escalon city-wide yard sale) was also canceled,” she said.

Elected leaders applauded her efforts.