Unlike most other fifth-graders, Lizzy McDonald didn’t sleep in Saturday.

She woke up early, shimmied into a bright yellow rain poncho and volunteered at East Lansing’s seventh annual Project Pride.

“My mom and me did this last year,” 11-year-old McDonald said. “We have a lot of stuff in our basement to get rid of.”

Many city residents emptied their basements by bringing recyclable scraps and reusable goods to the Abbott Center, 1400 Abbott Road. Reusable items are donated to Refugee Services, 2722 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, and the Salvation Army.

McDonald said her favorite part is seeing the interesting objects people donate - everything from couches to mailboxes to stuffed animals.

“If I were a refugee from another country, I would like a stuffed animal to sleep with,” she said.

Project Pride was created in 1994 by East Lansing’s Pride Team, a volunteer group that sponsors positive events in East Lansing.

Ron Sprinkel, chairperson of the Pride Team, was part of the event when it began.

Although he said the event has gained more support, Saturday’s rain dampened some residents’ drive to donate.

“The weather was terrible,” he said. “We got about two-thirds of what we usually get. We usually get about 1,000 (carloads). I estimate we got about 700 (carloads) this year simply because of the weather.

“This is the worst day we’ve had in seven years.”

But the event still drew many of its regulars.

Jules Hanslovsky, an East Lansing resident, said he and his family participate in Project Pride every year.

“I hate to give them up,” he said, handing over a large box of silk flowers his wife made him recycle. “If we don’t touch it or use it in a year we get rid of it.”

Dave Smith, environmental specialist for the city, said the event typically brings in about eight tons of recyclable items and 15 tons of scrap metal, about a ton of automotive batteries and about half a trailer of Styrofoam. All are melted down to be reused later.

Smith said this year there were more recyclable items and less trash donated.

“Refugee Services and Salvation Army took a whole lot of stuff this year,” he said. “We are pretty happy with that since our goal is to have more recycled stuff and less thrown away.”

Brian Potter, an East Lansing resident, made four trips to the event with recyclable items.

“It’s good that they have this,” he said as he lugged a leather armchair to the Salvation Army drop-off. “This stuff was just sitting around the house.”

Project Pride also collects old bicycles, which are refurbished by Share-A-Bike, a group of volunteers that refurbishes old bikes for the needy. The event got about 150 bikes this year.

“The first year we got hundreds of bikes that we had to melt down,” Sprinkel said. “We thought what a waste it was so the next year we started Share-A-Bike.”

Pat Cassel, a Lansing resident, has volunteered in Project Pride and the Share-A-Bike program for the past three years.

“They’re throwing it away,” she said. “But somebody else can use it.”