Rotary Auction organizers knocking on doors for items for annual auction

The annual tradition in Prince Rupert the Rotary Auction is set for November 17-19 at the Lester Centre of the Arts, the always popular auction brings business and community leaders together to offer goods and services to benefit Rotary projects in Prince Rupert.

As part of the pre auction planning, Rotarian's are continuing their quest to provide the best line up of goods to be made available for Rupertites to bid on, Friday's Daily News outlined their work so far as they finish off their preparations for this years auction.

Rotarians bidding for auction backing
The Daily News
Friday, October 10, 2008

Page five

Prince Rupert Rotarians will be canvassing local businesses for donations until Oct. 16 in preparation for the 44th-annual Prince Rupert Rotary Club Auction, which is set to take place at the Lester Centre of the Arts on Nov. 17, 18 and 19 from 6 to 11 p.m.

Last year, the community donated more than $90,000 worth of merchandise and services. Organizers are hoping that this year's totals will be around the same.

"We always get great support from the community. The donations come primarily from Prince Rupert but every once in a while we'll get something from someone out of town who has a connection to Rupert," said Bill Nicholls, a member of the auction committee.

The auction is the club's main fundraising event in Prince Rupert every year and is always an opportunity for members to experience good fellowship, he added.

"It's all a lot of work but it builds relationship," said Nicholls.

All the money raised through the auction is spent in the community, with most of it going to areas where people and groups cannot raise money for themselves.

"We've funded the waterfront park and the Rushbrook Trail - which has obviously been delayed - those projects couldn't have begun without the money we raised locally," explained Nicholls.
Other programs funded by the club include scholarships, the D.A.R.E. program and, more recently, the community policing vehicle.

Prince Rupert has two Rotary clubs - Hecate Strait Rotary and Prince Rupert Rotary. And while the auction is organized by the Prince Rupert Rotary Club each year, members of Hecate Strait club also come out to help on the night of the auction with deliveries, answering telephones and working computers.

The auction also receives volunteer hours and support from groups and businesses in the community and throughout the years has attracted various groups such as real estate agents, firefighters, dance students and staffs from various places.

This year, foreign exchange students will be among those helping to display some of the auction items and working as runners during the three nights of the auction.

"It's a large project and we need all hands on deck," said Nicholls, adding his club's 60 members all help with the event.

For the second year in a row, a list of the items that will be up for auction will be available on the Prince Rupert Rotary website by early November.

People wanting to check the list, including photographs of a few of the items, can go to http://www.princerupertrotaryclub.ca/.

As time goes on, the club hopes to get more sophisticated in the auction process by being able to offer people the opportunity to access the live auction on the club's website.

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In addition to Channel 10 and radio, streaming video would give people another option, said Nicholls.