Presque Isle Rotary Club prepares for 2013 charity auction

11 years ago

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle Rotary Club is gearing up for its 66th annual Radio and TV Auction, which will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 3-5. The three-night event will be broadcast live from the Northeastland Hotel by radio on Big Country 96.9 FM and statewide television on Time Warner Channel 9.

Auction Co-Chairs Scott Violette and Frank Bemis, and nearly 100 Presque Isle Rotarians, are hard at work preparing for this year’s auction, which will benefit six non-profit organizations in the region, as well as raise funds for this year’s special project, the Aroostook House of Comfort.
“We’re very pleased with the outpouring of support we’ve received from the community for this annual event, which we’re expecting will raise about $35,000 through our regular auction, and an estimated $100,000 through our special project,” Violette said. “This annual event is all about the community projects that we support. The organizations that have been selected this year are exceptional at what they do and they make such a big difference in the community. We, as a Rotary Club, are only able to help them because of the support we receive from the community.”
The club has a long list of auction items, including 3-night and one-night special items, regular one-night items, and art auction pieces. In fact, the auction is expected to feature nearly 700 auction items generously given by more than 200 donors. The total value is estimated at more than $50,000.
As part of this year’s art auction, the Presque Isle Rotary Club is again partnering with the Wintergreen Arts Center, with all proceeds going toward its children’s programming. All art pieces — everything from pottery and fiber arts to paintings and photography — will be on display at the Wintergreen Arts Center until the night of the auction.
Proceeds from this year’s regular auction will go toward six area non-profit organizations that were chosen for funding. Recipients include:
• The Ronald McDonald House ($3,000) to support their “Share a Night” program which allows individuals, groups and communities to sponsor a family by making a donation for their stay. The Rotary Club will be able to support a number of northern Maine families with this money. In 2012, 40 percent of the families served at the Bangor facility were from Aroostook County.
• Aroostook County Action Program ($2,500). Funding will go to the Case Management Emergency Fund, which works to connect the local underserved populations to all of the resources available to them within the community.
• Greater Haystack Trail Association ($2,500) to develop a 20-mile, non-motorized, multi-use trail system connecting Haystack Mountain to Quoggy Jo and all trail systems in-between. Funding will be used in phase one of this trail connecting the Mapleton Community Pool parking lot with Haystack and Pyle mountains. The completed trail will connect the towns of Mapleton, Castle Hill, Chapman and the city of Presque Isle with a year-round, rustic and scenic route for hiking, biking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.
• Quoggy Jo Ski Club ($2,400) to buy critical radio safety equipment necessary to be in compliance with regulations. This funding assists Quoggy Jo in its capital campaign to raise $70,000 over the next two years.
• Star City ATV Club ($2,200) to help with the cost of installing outside bathrooms at the Arnold Brook Lake Park, which is open to the public. Funding is earmarked for the cement holding tank, lumber and backhoe work.
• Easton Elementary School ($1,500) to purchase new cafeteria tables and chairs, which are in need of replacement. These tables and chairs are used by all students in the system, as well as many senior citizens and other members of the community for dinners and functions.
The Presque Isle Rotary Club also chooses a project or organization to receive special or major project status. Past major projects have included mammography, dialysis and other much-needed equipment for the local hospital, a new roof for the Catholic Charities of Maine warehouse in Caribou, upgrades to Mantle Lake Park, lighting at the Nordic Heritage Center, and the establishment of a non-profit dental clinic to serve disadvantaged children in the region, to name just a few.
This year’s special project goal of $100,000 is earmarked to help the Aroostook House of Comfort fund the building of Aroostook County’s first hospice house, which will be situated between Caribou and Presque Isle. The House of Comfort will be a facility providing both palliative and hospice care for all of Aroostook County.
For over 65 years, the Presque Isle Rotary Club has held an annual auction to raise funds to support local charities and non-profit organizations. Last year the club raised approximately $50,000 for eight organizations and charitable causes in the region, including Homeless Services of Aroostook.
Violette and Bemis, along with all Rotarians, are looking forward to another exciting auction this year. The club could not successfully complete this enormous task without the support of donors, viewers, listeners and bidders.
Auction booklets with a complete listing of items were inserted in the Nov. 20 weekly newspapers and extra copies are available at participating local merchants.