The 43rd annual Kiwanis Auction got underway Saturday at ODAS Park (Roller Skating Place).
Stephanie Hunter, president of the Orillia Kiwanis Club, was pleasantly surprised to see a large turnout for the event.
“A lot of people had the pancake breakfast, visited the craft show, went to the farmers’ market, and then ended up back here,” she said. “People are making a day of this.”
Among the items up for grabs in the auction were a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a hot tub, an ATV, and an autographed Morgan Rielly Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.
Around ODAS Park were 40 members of the Kiwanis club, their spouses and children, 20 students from Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School, and 10 members of 4-H Ontario who are volunteering with the event.
“Seeing people coming out to support this event is a rewarding feeling for us,” Hunter said. “The money we raise from this event goes back into the community and to children’s programs that we support.”
Typically, the auction raises between $60,000 and $80,000. Early Saturday afternoon, the auction was on pace to hit that fundraising mark.
“The bidding really starts to take action with the big-ticket items,” Hunter said. “With getting back to our original format and adding more items, I think we are going to be on target for that.”
The pancake breakfast saw a larger-than-normal turnout. It raised $640.
“People are looking to get out and to find things to do,” she said. “People know this is something that they can do with their money going toward a good cause.”
Deb Wagner is a local resident who has been going to the auction for 34 years. She enjoys the social aspect of the event as well as supporting the good cause.
“The Kiwanis club does so much in the community that I think people tend to forget,” she said. “They have the Kiwanis Fire Safety Village, the Kiwanis Skate Park. They are involved in so many things.”
When the event was moved to an online-only format during the pandemic, Wagner missed the in-person auction.
“You watch some of the auction bids, and it’s friends, family, and business owners competing against each other,” she said. “It’s become a very fun event, watching to see who gets what.”
Live bidding at the auction was set to wrap up around 2 p.m.
