SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2018
Auction
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More than 300 people
attended the annual Rotary
Auction at the Florence
Events Center. Groups filled
38 tables with costumes that
fit the Olympics theme,
including sports-related para-
phernalia and Olympics offi-
cials, who conducted “drug
tests” on attendees. Some
people took to the original
spirit of the Olympics by
wearing togas and other
ancient Greek styles.
McMullen and co-chair
Kim Erickson coordinated a
huge team of Rotarians to
pull off the event, from deco-
rations to auction items, food
and wine to the dance floor.
“We have a lot of sponsors
that really help us out and get
us here on the night of the
auction with things already
paid for,” Erickson said.
“We’re coming into the night
and all the money raised is
kind of ‘profit’ to us.”
CHANTELLE MEYER/SIUSLAW NEWS
The 2018 Rotary Auction Cochairs Kim Erickson and Kevin
McMullen and led a committee of Rotarians to the finish
line, making “Lighting the Torch for Our Kids’ Future” a
success.
Sponsors for the event
included table sponsors, cash
and item donors and other
sponsors, including Reustle
Prayer Rock Vineyards, On
Your Feet with a Splash,
Vacation International, Sea
Lion Caves, Iron Horse
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Logging,
Heceta
Self
Storage,
Katie
Prosser,
Pavilion Catering, Oregon
Pacific Bank, Alsco, Best
Western Pier Point Inn and
auctioneers Bob and Blair
Sneddon.
“It was their 49th year auc-
tioneering for our Rotary
Auction,” Erickson said. “We
just want to let them know
how much we appreciate
what they do for us.”
In addition, personnel from
U.S. Coast Guard Station
Siuslaw River and 18 stu-
dents from the Interact Clubs
at Mapleton and Siuslaw high
schools helped during the
auction. Twenty-five past
presidents
donated
25
desserts made by area
bankers.
“We have a lot of people to
thank,” McMullen said.
Rotarian volunteers deco-
rated for the event, sought out
contributions, set up, tore
down and ran the auction,
including packaging auction
items and ringing up totals.
“We get a lot of credit for
this, but without our commit-
tees there is just no way we
could do it,” McMullen said.
“I was looking back at the
first auction in 1960, and they
had two people and raised
$1,000. … Throughout the
years, it’s grown bigger and
bigger. It’s a big thing, and it
doesn’t happen without our
committee.”
Committee meetings began
in November, and covered
everything that went into
making the auction so spe-
cial.
Erickson and McMullen
thanked committee members
with gold medals and tiny
Olympic torches.
The decorating committee,
chaired
by
Crystal
Farnsworth
and
Sherry
Harvey, got a shout out for
their work in transforming the
event center into a regal
Greek hall. Olympic medal-
lions hung over every table
and colorful Olympic torches
formed the centerpieces.
Farnsworth said, “Every
member rose to their tasks
and did them well. We are a
well-oiled machine. Everyone
was dependable and worked
hard.”
Her co-chair Harvey said
the process ran a couple hours
ahead of schedule because so
many people were willing to
show up and work hard.
A motto of “Let the Games
Begin” accompanied lively
bidding on 55 live auction
items, as well as many more
silent auctions.
“The top donor this year,
which provided the item that
sells for the most, was the
package
from
Siuslaw
News,” McMullen said.
“And, due to Art Koenig buy-
ing a shoe horn that Blair
Sneddon wanted to sell dur-
ing the auction, he was our
top spender again this year by
about $24.”
The auction featured many
“winners” in the community.
“We of course couldn’t do
this without you two running
the whole show,” said Rotary
President Craig Sanders to
Erickson and McMullen.
“Thanks, you two.”
The
Florence
Rotary
Auction is a tradition that has
lasted in Florence since 1960
to support youth scholarships,
community events and proj-
ects.