A Rotary club gets ready for mega auction Rotary Club of Duncan will be hosting the Christmas Auction on the local TV channel during which thousands of items will be sold to raise funds for buying winter clothing for students.
The Duncan chapter (Oklahoma, US – D 5770) of Rotary International is hitting the bricks to get their largest fundraiser ready to hit Duncan’s TV for the 61st year.
The Rotary Christmas Auction is hosted on the week of Thanksgiving each year.
During the four-day frenzy, thousands of items are sold to help local students receive warm winter clothes.
Right now, club members are starting to call on businesses and residents to donate items or funds to get items to auction, said Laura Goldring, auction chair.
“It’s important to the Rotary Club to make sure that we publicly acknowledge our donors and sponsors through print and social media. Therefore, we have started our packet process a little earlier than usual so we have time to collect and enter all of the information into our database,” she said.
To make sure all the items are listed, the auction team members need to get items and turn them in as quickly as possible. This helps keep everything moving smoothly.
“It’s also important to us that the auction list is as up to date as possible, to make it easier for our bidders to participate in the auction,” Goldring said.
This year, the auction will be from 6,30 pm to 10.30 pm from Nov 26-30 on Cable One Channel 60.
Residents without Cable One can watch the auction via the Duncan Rotary YouTube channel.
Volunteers work the phone lines during the auction to take bids from viewers.
Goldring said it is the community which made the auction the success it is today.
“We are grateful and humbled to receive such a strong show of support from the community in all aspects,” she said.
Auction proceeds help children receive warm clothes and shoes.
The recipients are selected with the help and support of Duncan Public Schools.
“The process for selecting children and families in need of our support is facilitated in large part through Duncan Public Schools officials. They send a letter and application home with each elementary school-aged student in Monday folders prior to the auction,” Goldring said.
“Once the applications are returned to the school, administration identifies approximately 325 students and families, based on greatest need.”
After the auction is shopping day, where each child is allotted $100 to spend between Walmart and Payless Shoes.
“Thanks to the generosity of our amazing community, there was enough funding last year to clothe every child whose application was approved for assistance,” Goldring said.
When there are funds left over, Rotary uses them for other projects, like the local college scholarship programme and Youth Exchange Programme, she said.
“We were also able to fund four college scholarships for Duncan High School graduating seniors,” she said.
“Finally, funds from last year’s auction enabled our club to help send a local student to France and receive a student from Brazil through the Rotary Youth Exchange programme.”
The club members are trying to reach out to those who have donated to the auction earlier despite shortage of hands.
Source: The Duncan Banner
