For Bob Sullivan, it’s a bit like a big treasure hunt.
Like countless other area residents, Sullivan attends the Kiwanis Mammoth Auction at ODAS Park every year and this Saturday was no exception.
“There are always so many unique and original items,” the Severn Township resident explained while perusing some of the many items available for bidding at the 40th annual event.
“The atmosphere is great and it’s also a good social event. I know a lot of the guys, so there’s lots of talk and sharing stories.”
All totalled, this weekend’s event featured 120 live-auction and 580 silent-auction items.
“This is all made possible through the extraordinary generosity of our donors,” Orillia Kiwanis Club president Korine Keyzer said.
Last year’s auction raised more than $82,000 with proceeds used to complete the ‘Smile Zone’ in the pediatric unit at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
Keyzer said the club hopes to near the $100,000 mark this time around once all the bills have been paid and winning bids tallied; the totat won't be known for a couple of weeks.
“It’s our only fundraiser,” Keyzer said, adding the club relies on the auction as a major part of its ongoing sponsorship efforts for programs ranging from the popular children’s safety village and fire-safety house to the Kiwanis Music Festival and other kids’ programs.
Aside from a huge assortment of gift cards and items from area restaurants, stores, services and other businesses, this year’s offering featured several pairs of tickets to Toronto sports teams as well as some big-ticket items like kayaks, a hot-tub, a golf cart and a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 motorcycle.
There was also some strong music connections as part of this year’s event.
Orillia native Gordon Lightfoot, who performed at the Kiwanis Music Festival as a boy, signed a guitar that was up for auction. There was also a numbered snare drum, from DW Drums, which is the same type played by Rush drummer Neil Peart and it bears an endorsement from the band.
Like many other volunteers, Ann Parker has been helping out for a long time with the annual event.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 16 years,” Parker said, noting it’s an easy event with which to be involved.
“It’s such a worthy cause since all the money is donated to children’s causes. That’s what the Kiwanis is all about," said Parker. "It’s their mandate.”
Parker said this weekend’s rather gloomy weather was perfect for the auction.
“If it was a super sunny fall day, you might not get as many people coming through,” she said. “People might prefer raking leaves or just staying outside.”
This marked the third year a pancake breakfast preceded the auction. But once the breakfast tables had been cleared, it was time to get down to some serious bidding of both the silent and live variety.
Kiwanis member Vicki Goode said the club looks forward to hosting the event every year.
“We always help out,” said Goode, whose husband Mark is also a club member. “We’ve spent a lot of time here. Members give a lot of time to it since it’s such a great cause.”
