GALION — Preparation continues for the 18th annual Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce holiday auction and open house.
Executive Director Miranda Jones said the annual chamber fundraiser is being conducted as a hybrid event this year, with the silent auction being staged as a virtual event that begins on Wednesday, Nov. 24 and closes on Thursday, Dec. 2. The in-person portion of the event is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2 at The Hub at Village Square, 311 North Seltzer Street in Crestline. The silent auction opens at 5 p.m. on Nov. 24 and will end just before the live event on Dec. 2.
Admission to the live event on Dec. 2 at The Hub costs $20 per person. The fee includes $10 for reverse raffle tickets. Jones said a photo booth and other amenities will be at the live event. For information, go to the chamber website www.galion-crestlinechamber.org.
Jones said the chamber is still accepting donations of auction items from its members. So far, she noted, some impressive items have been donated for the 2021 edition of the fundraiser.
“Our No. 1 live auction item is two tickets that Covert Manufacturing has donated to us for the Dec. 31 Cleveland Cavaliers versus Atlanta Hawks (NBA) game (at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland),” she said. “They’re actually courtside VIP tickets. They go for $4,500 apiece, so the bidding on those will start at $1,000 in the live auction. Only 160 of these tickets are sold so it’s really exclusive. Food and alcoholic beverages are included. There’s a special VIP entrance.”
Jones noted that since the seats are courtside, there are COVID-19 restrictions that must be observed. People are required to be vaccinated or have a negative 48-hour test and masks must be worn.
Also available in the auction are Cleveland Browns game tickets, Columbus Crew game tickets, and possibly Columbus BlueJackets tickets. An autographed Lynn Swann Pittsburgh Steelers jersey has also been donated for the auction by Ralphie’s Sports Eatery of Galion.
“We get all kinds of great gift baskets for the event,” Jones added. “We’ve got 32 totes and some other items and bags from the Flourish Boutique Uptowne.We’ve got some tool sets as well. The items are currently available to view on our website. If you go to the website and click on the events tab, you can see them there.”
Raffle tickets can be purchased for $20 each through the chamber website. The drawings for the $250, $500, $750, and $1,000 prizes will be held at 6:45 p.m. during the live event on Dec. 2 at The Hub.
Auction winners can pick up their items beginning Friday, Dec. 3 at the chamber office, 138 Harding Way West in Galion.
Jones said the holiday auction and open house is the chamber’s “largest non-dues revenue generator.”
“We generally will make between $15,000 to $20,000 a year on this event,” Jones said.
