Darlington Rotary Club holds annual auction
It’s all hands on deck at the Darlington Rotary Club as it prepares for its biggest fundraiser of the year — the Annual Auction. This year’s event, held on Thursday March 30, is expected to be one of the best yet with a wide variety of items available for bid. The proceeds of the auction go directly back into the community in the form of donations to other non-profits and community service projects such as, The Lord Cares Food Bank, The Free Medical Clinic, Adopt-A-Highway, and others. However, the biggest single beneficiary is the Darlington Rotary Club’s College Scholarship Fund. Each year the Darlington Rotary Club awards four college scholarships to deserving local students to the college of their choice. Traditionally two scholarships in the amount of $750 are awarded to students attending a Technical College and two more are given to students attending a four-year college or university in the amount of $1,000. To be eligible for the scholarship the student must be a high school senior and attend either Mayo Magnet School or Darlington High School.
The Rotary Auction will be held this year at the Darlington Country Club and is open to the public. Tickets are $10 each and may be bought at the door or from any Rotarian. The evening will begin at 6:30 with beverages and heavy hors d’oeuvres as guests peruse the selections for the silent auction. There will be various themed baskets such as Family Fun Night, Girl’s Birthday Bash, Boy’s Birthday Bash, Firepit & S’mores, Wheels and Suds, and many more. There will also be individual items such as a year membership to Fitness World Gyms, use of the Wilds-Edwards House for senior or engagement pictures and Pampered Chef items.
After the silent auction winds down the live auction will begin and bidding is expected to get feisty as there are many hot items on this year’s list. One of the main attractions up for bid will be a week’s stay at a lovely 4 bedroom beach home in Garden City, as well as, a Skeet Shoot for four at Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve in Society Hill, over 650 pounds of deer corn from Corn-Venience in Darlington, a dove hunt, a stainless steel grill donated by Walmart and a shotgun donated by Palmetto Pawn and Gun. There will also be tickets to a University of South Carolina baseball game; autographed memorabilia from Clemson’s head football coach, Dabo Swinney and other Clemson and Carolina items. Whose team will have the bragging rights this year for raising the most in support of the Rotary Club’s College Scholarship fund?
When asked, the Chairperson of the Rotary Auction, GeorgeAnne Blackmon, said, “There seems to be a lot of buzz around town about this year’s event. We have all worked hard to promote the event whether through Facebook, flyers, or word of mouth and we’ve put a tremendous effort into securing exciting items and experiences for our guests to bid on. It is shaping up to be a night to remember.”
Guests will also be entertained by several games throughout the evening including a new game of chance that will be unveiled at the event. For more information please go to the Rotary Club of Darlington, SC’s Facebook page. See you at the Auction!