Darlington Rotary Club Auction a huge success
When the Darlington Rotary Club said, “See you at the auction”, the citizens of Darlington took them seriously. It is estimated that over 150 people turned out for the annual event; the biggest crowd in recent memory.
Shortly after the start of the event, the ballroom of the Darlington Country Club was full of guests. The room was very festive with blue and gold balloons on each table, representing the Rotary colors.
The hour-long silent auction began at 6:45, with excitement from those that bid the highest and disappointment from those who were outbid. Beth Hubbard walked away with 100 pounds of fertilizer for her lawn and is expected to have the “Pride of Darlington” award on her front yard soon.
Door prizes were given out as bids were placed in the silent auction. Heyward Blackmon walked away with a beautiful bluebird house built by Mr. Earl Grooms. Others were awarded Carolina Plantation rice, caps from Arbor One, gifts from Pee Dee Electric, gift certificates to The Dairy Bar, Domino’s Pizza, and Tenampa Mexican Restaurant, among many other prizes.
One of the largest successes of the evening was a new game, Wine Toss. A large board was erected in the corner of the ballroom, and guests could pay for a chance to ring one of the bottles of wine suspended in the board. By far the most successful player of the evening was Mr. Rakesh Shah, who rung 3 bottles in his first 5 attempts.
Once the live auction began, bidding got fierce. There was a lot of excitement for several of the items, one being Mrs. Pollie Bristow’s original artwork. Robin Lane won the bid after strong competition. Additional items that garnered a lot of attention and bids were, a week’s stay at a lovely beach home in Garden City, a skeet shoot at Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve, a dove hunt, at Galloway Farms, a handmade blanket chest and a 20 Gauge Shot gun.
After all payments were in, the final net total amount raised was just under $7,500, exceeding the amounts raised for the past 4 years. The money raised will go towards college scholarships for local students, support of local charities such as The Lord Cares Food Bank, Adopt-A-Highway, as well as other national and international Rotary charities.