HOULTON, Maine — All of us have said or heard the following: “It’s earlier than ever this year.” Whether you’re talking about getting prepared for school, seeing Halloween and Christmas items in stores at the same time or noticing the crops maturing for harvest, it is “that time of year.”
And, there is one more sign that it is that “time,” it is time to pledge items for the 63rd Annual Houlton Rotary Auction.
Those who pledged products or services to the 2017 Auction will be contacted soon by a Rotarian to ask for support again for 2018. Rotarians will also be making the rounds over the next couple of weeks to others locations.
The Rotary Radio, TV and Internet Auction is the major fundraiser conducted each year by the Houlton Rotary Club. Again, this year, a Facebook auction will be added to the event with a select number of items available for bid on Facebook for approximately a week.
The Houlton Club is also announcing some changes to this year’s format. This year’s auction will run each night from 6-9:30 p.m., concluding an hour earlier than prior years. Items will also be presented in 20-minute segments, rather than half-hour segments, with 10 segments being featured each night. Nightly Specials and 3-Night Specials will remain a part of the auction.
The major projects to be funded with the proceeds of this year’s auction are playground expansion at Mill Pond School and a snack shack at the Little League fields. Auction proceeds also help support other Rotary charities including Putnam House, an ECG for newborns, books to be given away to youth, Dollars For Scholars, Student Recognition Day, Rotary Youth Exchange and more.
Providing items for the Rotary Auction is a great way to promote a business at the beginning of the peak shopping season while also supporting the community. Donors are encouraged to provide something exciting and highly sought after to really spur the bidding.
There are other ways to support the auction in addition to providing items. Advertising space is available in the Auction Supplement which is widely distributed prior to the Auction and is posted online providing great exposure. There are also sponsorship opportunities available.
The 63rd Annual Rotary Auction is scheduled for Nov. 19-21. For further information or to donate items to the auction, contact chairman Tracy Rockwell at 521-3100 X3103, club President Nate Bodenstab at 227-1310 or any member of the Houlton Rotary Club. Updates and information will also be posted on the club’s web site at www.houltonrotary.org and on their Facebook page.
