Broken lamps, toasters, leaf blowers and even a toy Furby were given a second life at the Andover fix-it clinic last spring. About 30 people brought in broken household gadgets and items. A dozen volunteers restored many of the items to working order with the room erupting in applause when an item whirled back to life.
The free event was so popular that the city will host a second fix-it clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Andover Community Center, 15200 Hanson Blvd.
Cindy DeRuyter, Andover recycling coordinator, modeled Andover's events after the popular Hennepin County fix-it clinics.
Volunteers show people how to diagnose the problem and repair household items. More than half the items brought to the clinic were repaired, DeRuyter said.
"We call them volunteer coaches. It's the idea they can coach someone to do things themselves. That is very empowering," DeRuyter said.
Even those who get a grim diagnosis — their item was beyond repair — left with some closure.
"You hold onto things for years thinking, 'Someday I will get around to it.' Finally, you bring it to the fix-it clinic and they say yes or no," DeRuyter said.
The most rousing success story was when a volunteer repaired a little boy's Furby, the small furry robot toy that was the "it" item for Christmas 1998 and has become hot again in recent years. The boy brought it in with his mother, and both were thrilled when the Furby came back to life.
