A generous community, and one willing to join in the fun, helped the Rotary Club of Ludington raise nearly $30,000 in 2020’s Rotary Holiday Auction, an online version.

This year, the club is working to make the auction as good or better than last year, all in the effort to raise funds to help the club continue supporting programs for local students, paying for upgrades to Rotary Park and more. 

The 22nd Annual Rotary Holiday Auction is Dec. 1 at one.bidpal.net/ludingtonrotary. Bidding begins Saturday, Nov. 27 and concludes at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The final hour, from 7 to 8 p.m., will feature a livestream with Rotarians Dale Horowski, Jac Russell and Nancy Fife, who will update viewers with the latest auction information.

A generous community, and one willing to join in the fun, helped the Rotary Club of Ludington raise nearly $30,000 in 2020’s Rotary Holiday Auction, an online version
 
This year, the club is working to make the auction as good or better than last year, all in the effort to raise funds to help the club continue supporting programs for local students, paying for upgrades to Rotary Park and more. 
 

The 22nd Annual Rotary Holiday Auction is Dec. 1 at one.bidpal.net/ludingtonrotary. Bidding begins Saturday, Nov. 27 and concludes at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The final hour, from 7 to 8 p.m., will feature a livestream with Rotarians Dale Horowski, Jac Russell and Nancy Fife, who will update viewers with the latest auction information.

Typically, the auction is a sold-out affair at Lincoln Hills Golf Club, but with the pandemic still in full swing, this 22nd annual event will be online for the second year. The hope is to return to an in-person event in 2022.

In the meantime, the items available for bid are as enticing as ever  -- an electric bike, dog sled adventure, trip on the SS Badger, several overnight stay options including the Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Cartier Mansion, Crystal Mountain and more, gift certificates to local restaurants and shops, professional photo prints, and many gift ideas for the upcoming holidays.

2020 auction income is so good, it’s even close to the record 2019 event, a pleasant surprise to the club’s Auction Committee. 

The club was not able to make money selling elephant ears at the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Charity Basketball Tournament for the past two years so having strong auction income was especially helpful.

“We’re really excited about what we have in this year’s auction,” said Dale Horowski, the club’s Auction Committee chair. “Local businesses have been generous with their donations. The proceeds from this event are the fuel for our Rotary engine. We discovered last year that bidding online was really a blast.”

Area businesses, organizations and individuals donated more than 100 items up for bid.

The club has grown during the pandemic to a current 82 members, with several soon-to-be members nearing induction. 

The Rotary Club of Ludington has been a part of our community since 1933, and current club members are working to keep the efforts of Service Above Self alive and well. 

“We are so fortunate to live in such a compassionate and caring community, where a club can count on the generosity of the local businesses, as they participate through their incredible donations; to the significant number of community members that come together for this fun-filled event to bid on the various items and be a part of the support to our local Rotary club,' said Rotary Club of Ludington President Chad Inabinet. "This all-around generosity allows our club to continue leading and participating in a number of activities each year that focus on improving the lives of all that live within our incredible communities."

While club members and supporters missed getting together for the auction in person in 2020, there were some advantages to the online format, including no long lines for checkout.

Auction committee members are Dale Horowski, James Jensen, Jac Russell, Michelle King, Julee Sarto, Nancy Fife, Bob Sasin, Kathy Bromley, Jeff Olmstead, Dan Hinderer, Tom Lane, Patti Klevorn, Dan Sleeman, Aaron Myers, and Suzy Koths.

Rotary Club of Ludington projects include high school mentoring through the STRIVE program, distribution of dictionaries to all area third-graders, a project with the library to bring books to students through school, scholarships for high school and WSCC students, the Avenue of Flags on Ludington Avenue, Rotary Park improvements, and a Mason County Sheriff’s Office Deputy of the Year Award. 

The local club also participates in international programs, partnering with Rotary clubs around the world.

The club meets at noon Thursdays, offering an in-person and online format. Learn more on the club's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rotaryofludington.