SUNDRE – The success of a local non-profit community service organization’s inaugural attempt to hold a fundraising auction has the group hopeful the event could become annual.
About 75 people attended the Sundre Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society’s first live-only auction that was held on Saturday, June 1 at the Royal Canadian Legion Sundre Branch #223, reported the society’s executive director.
“We are hoping to make this an annual event but this was our first,” said Donny Krahn.
There were even more items up for grabs, with a total of 102 donated products and services. Once the dust settled, the live auction raised a little more than $13,000, Krahn told the Albertan by email in response to follow-up questions.
“We are so very grateful to everyone who came to our auction and generously bid. It was a great evening,” she said.
Dwight Boychuk and his team did the auction with Josh Poland. Counted among the more unique items were a repainted antique pedal car as well as a roughly five-foot garden bird made of metal and stone from Mexico, she said.
“It was entertaining to see spouses try to outbid each other until the auctioneer stepped in,” she said.
The vintage pedal car, donated by Al Wattie and repainted by Crama Coachworks, ended up fetching a price of $1,125, she said, adding the bird sculpture “went for a brisk $400.”
Some of the other big-ticket items included a helicopter ride for two that went for $625, followed by loads of gravel and fence posts that turned out to be the next big sellers, she said.
“We appreciate all the support that we have received for the work we are doing in the community and look forward to doing it again next year,” she said.
The group had also planned to hold its annual Charity Check Stop fundraiser in late May, but due to complications with construction work on the Highway 27-Main Avenue corridor ended up postponing the event until Friday, Aug. 23, she said.
The society is run by a volunteer board of directors with office space located on the west side of the Sundre Community Centre’s building.
