Meadowlark Hills resident Sue Hunt held up an adjustable cane decorated with hand-painted roses, and the knot in my stomach began to unravel. Meadowlark Hills Foundation’s first public auction of donated household items had lured several capable volunteers and a large crowd to Pottorf Hall in Cico Park on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and the raised hands and nodding heads that were prompted by auctioneer Vern Gannon did much to calm my nerves.

Five hours later, Vern approached me with good news. About 430 winning bids had generated nearly $6,300! Sales and donations of spare dollars and loose change at our Food & Drinks Booth combined for another $356.68, bringing our auction revenue to more than $6,600! (In comparison, last year’s Meadowlark Hills Market on our campus produced about $5000 in sales and donations.)

There were 109 registered bidders from as far away as Topeka, and there were many, such as Meadowlark Hills residents Nyle and Norma Larson, who were pulled to Pottorf out of curiosity and a desire to help financially if they could. They did so by buying their dinner at our concession stand, stocked with pulled pork and barbecue beef sandwiches, chips, cookies and beverages from Prairie Star Restaurant.

“I used to go to auctions all the time,” Norma said. “I saw lots of people who are auction regulars, and I was real pleased that there were so many Meadowlark people there. We were impressed with the crowd, and the food was great.”

The item receiving the highest winning bid of $250 was a large Middle Eastern rug donated by the daughter of a late resident, Alice Nichols. Other items receiving much interest and higher bids were a ruby ring; a Charles Rogers print donated by residents Bill and Rae Stamey; Dept. 56 New England village pieces donated by Bob and Yvonne Crawford, and two porcelain Lladro figurines. Furniture items bringing top dollars were a headboard and queen mattress set and an antique harp table with a marble top. 

I was among a few Meadowlark Hills staff members who registered to bid, and I am thrilled to have been able to add two pieces to my household – an Ethan Allen chest and hutch donated by Bob and Jan Kruh and an interesting glassware set designed for sampling vodka. Not surprisingly, I’ve had a few offers to help me try out these funky little glasses, which slightly resemble test tubes. 

All of this year’s proceeds benefit our Good Samaritan Fund, which assists residents in our healthcare households who have depleted their financial resources. Several volunteers worked many hours, ensuring that as much money raised as possible would help those in need. I’d like to thank Vern Gannon and his wife, Sherry, who were two of the first people at Pottorf Hall the morning of the auction and among the last to leave. During the auction, three other Gannon employees donated their time to our cause.

Pat Callaghan, known to many in Manhattan as an antique dealer and furniture mover, shared his time and the use of his truck and trailers over two days. He spent about 11 hours loading and hauling furniture and boxed items that have been stashed over the past several months in three storage units.

I’d like to say hip, hip hooray to the residents, staff and a Passport member who helped me prior to, during and after the auction. They collected and sorted donations, set up and took down tables and chairs at Pottorf Hall, organized and/or worked at the Food & Drinks Booth, or helped buyers load furniture into their vehicles. Please join me in thanking:

Loren Alexander, Mary Dean Apel, Lonnie Baker, Cam and Jean Beatty, Sylvia Campbell,  Shirley Escamilla, Sue Hunt, Kim O’Donnell, Jayme Minton, Tracy Musselman, June Myers, Chris Nelson, Brook Nieheus, Esther Sobering, Monte Spiller, Jon Thompson and Kinzie Jo Zimmerman.

Kudos, also, to Paul Bridges and Prairie Star Restaurant staff who made sure we had tasty items at the concession stand; transportation driver John Mies, who drove our laundry truck filled with packed boxes of donations to Pottorf on auction morning, and Sarah Duggan, Community Relations Director, who coordinated some of our publicity. 

Finally, this event would not have been possible without the generous donations of furniture and household items from numerous residents and family members. Thank you! Several of the auction-goers own second-hand stores and were buying inventory, while others were excited to be able to buy nice items for their homes. I spoke with one young couple who filled the back of their truck with a buffet, two chairs and a few lamps, and they were especially pleased the auction prices fit their budget.

A few people approached me during the auction and asked if we would be organizing a similar event in the future. They said they liked the variety and quality of items, were having fun visiting and bidding, and enjoyed supporting a worthy cause in the process. 

Weighing the pros and cons with Lonnie the day after the event, we determined the positives definitely outweigh any negatives, and have pledged to host a bigger and better event in 2016. To that end, we would like to increase the number of donations, perhaps adding some more valuable items to the mix, and would like to decrease our expenses, the biggest of which is the fees we paid over the past several months to store the donated items.  

I’m pleased to report that I’ve already made strides in the Reduce Expenses category. Amherst Self-Storage, managed by Diamond Real Estate Management, has agreed to provide two large storage units indefinitely at no charge, and St. Thomas More Catholic Church has said we can use their large fellowship hall for the auction in exchange for a freewill donation. 

Quality donations will be accepted from anyone, so please spread the word to your friends and family. I will provide receipts that may be used at tax time. If you have items to donate or have suggestions for next year’s event, please contact me at 323-3843.