Rotary Club gearing up for annual auction

    PRESQUE ISLE – The anticipation of the 61st annual Presque Isle Rotary TV/Radio Auction is upon us.
    The entire Presque Isle Rotary Club is very excited about the fantastic merchandise and gift certificates that will be available this year. The auction will be held Tuesday, Dec. 2, Wednesday, Dec. 3, and Thursday, Dec. 4, live from the Northeastland Hotel in downtown Presque Isle.     This year, the Presque Isle Rotary Club will be donating the auction proceeds to outstanding groups for worthy projects such as the Nordic Heritage Sport Club, the Presque Isle Police Department, Martha and Mary’s Soup Kitchen, Pine Street Elementary School, Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Presque Isle Fire Department.
    The club has been well known in the central Aroostook area for many decades of putting “Service Above Self,” a Rotary International motto. Auction chair Jane Towle said that this motto is one of the main reasons that she believes so strongly in her membership to the club.
    “When I see so many Rotarians step up and give so much of their time and energy to this auction, it makes me very proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization,” said Towle. “The giving nature of the Rotarians for the betterment of the community is what this club stands for.”
    Co-chair Nancy Fletcher summed it up by saying, “It never fails to amaze me year after year, how many people in the club simply say, ‘What can I do to help?’ It’s truly a group effort.”
    The recipients of this year’s auction proceeds will support a wide variety of projects, and this would not happen without the continued support of the local businesses.
    The Presque Isle Rotary Club hopes that they can continue to count on community support by participating in the upcoming auction, and looking at your booklets ahead of time to mark the items that you would like to bid on, while at the same time making a difference to these benevolent organizations.
    “When a caller makes a bid, we hope they keep in mind that although bargains are everyone’s favorite, bidding close to the value is helpful,” said Fletcher. “The higher you bid, the closer the club comes to reaching our goal.
    “Bidders should know that debit and credit cards are accepted at the store room when you pick up your merchandise after the auction, which this year will be in the Northeastland conference room near the lobby,” she said. “The club works hard to ensure that it will be an enjoyable shopping experience for the viewers and bidders.”
    Towle said she hopes once again, like the 60 years previously, that central Aroostook “will support this club and its recipient organizations in their 61st annual event.”
    “It’s important to remember that without the countless merchandise, gift certificates, cash donations, and advertising, there would be no auction,” she said. “So please help us by saying thank you to the local businesses whose generosity each year is overwhelming.”
    She suggests checking the booklet, taking notice of the business names listed throughout, and consider stopping by their establishments to buy locally.
    Both Towle and Fletcher are honored to be the voice of the Presque Isle Rotary Auction this year and hope that faithful and novice bidders alike will have one thing in common on Dec. 2-4, and that is to “Call often and bid high!”