Beacon Church Talents/Treasures Auction goes Saturday

By Eric Bourque

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Organizers of the first Beacon United Church Talents and Treasures Auction may or may not envisaged the event as a major annual fundraiser for the church, but this is what it became and the 2008 auction will be held Saturday, March 8, a week later than originally planned.

It was to have been held March 1 but was postponed because of inclement weather.

The auction gives people a chance to bid on a variety of services and items – i.e. “talents” and “treasures” – with the church opening at 2 p.m. and the auction getting underway at 3.

There is a dinner break at 5 p.m. – the meal consisting of roasted herb pork, potatoes, vegetables, desert – and the auction is scheduled to resume at 6.

As usual, people who turn out for the event will find a wide assortment of this and that, including paintings by different artists, hand-hooked rugs, knit wear, plants, appliances and antiques.

On the “talent” side of things, the list includes professional services, catered meals and baby-sitting.

Auction committee chairman Stephen Sollows notes that while the auction is now an annual activity, organizers skipped a year in the event’s early history and people indicated at the time that they wanted it back.

Initially, the event was held in the evening and ended quite late and the decision was subsequently made to have it start in the afternoon and to offer people a meal.

Introduced a dozen years or so ago, the event has raised a good deal of money for the church.

“It’s been successful each year,” Sollows said.

Tickets are $10 and while they will be available at the door, people are encouraged to purchase them in advance if posible so that organizers have an idea what kind of turnout to expect.

Tickets are available weekdays from the church office (742-4320, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) or from Sollows.