Vintage Vinyl sale to benefit Illinois Radio Reader returns

Illinois Radio Reader’s (IRR) principal fundraiser, the annual Vintage Vinyl sale, returns for its 23rd year this Saturday, October 1, 2016, at the Fluid Event Center in Champaign.

“The prices are low and the inventory is fantastic, with an especially impressive selection of LPs and CDs,” said Illinois Radio Reader coordinator Kathie Spegal.

The Vintage Vinyl sale continues to be one of the Midwest’s best sales of used vinyl records, DVDs, CDs, and other donated musical ephemera offered at bargain prices. The sale will open with a $5 admission fee from 8 to 11 a.m. There's no admission fee from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the half-price sale will be from 4 to 6 p.m.

“The sale provides those in our community with a passion for vinyl with a great selection of collectables while also providing them with a chance to support an important service in our community,” said Kimberlie Kranich, director of community content and engagement at Illinois Public Media.

All proceeds from the sale will benefit Illinois Radio Reader, a service of Illinois Public Media, which provides the reading of local newspapers, magazines, books, and much more to the reading disabled in East Central Illinois.

“The Vintage Vinyl sale is the only community fundraising activity for this vital service. In fact, it raises a good portion our annual operating budget, which is needed now more than ever to replace what we have lost from the state funding source,” continued Spegal.

More than 500 users are kept informed via a special radio receiver, an online stream and/or a free mobile app. The free service also depends on volunteer readers, who produce some 80 hours of local programming each week.

“I think people naturally want to help others and we provide a venue for more than 50 volunteers, reading every day to provide 13.5 hours of local content to our users,” said Kranich. “So it’s providing a human voice from our community and a human connection for those who use IRR to stay informed.”

Broadcasts can be heard by obtaining special radio receivers from the IRR office by filling out the user application. Users can also find the online stream of the IRR signal on will.illinois.edu/illinoisradioreader by clicking on "Listen to the Illinois Radio Reader Service,” and finally by downloading the free app "Sero" to mobile devices. Once it is downloaded, users can find the Illinois Radio Reader stream located in the sub-category of Radio Reading Services.

Anyone who has a visual or physical disability which impairs his or her ability to read may be eligible to obtain this free service. Contact Illinois Radio Reader at 217-333-6503 or download an application for a radio receiver.