Saturday, August 13, was a fun filled night with good food and many silent and live auction items to bid on at the 23rd Annual Auction and Raffle sponsored by BGCOR’s Monroe Area units.
Monroe Area Board Treasurer, Dr. Jim Dash, served as the Master of Ceremonies for this year’s event. Shortly after Dr. Dash welcomed everyone, Bronco Raffle sales officially ended and Board Member, Eric Hazuda, began the countdowns on each section of the silent auction while the crowd scurried from table to table placing those last-minute bids.
But it was Board Member Kim Littreal who may have had one of the best jobs of the night, introducing our featured speakers: students Dixie Nicholson and Lailah Pyros, both of whom are amazing and plan to be Youth of the Year contenders for 2023. The speeches were both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and served as a concrete reminder of why the Club exists.
In a very happy and surprise twist, this year’s live auction featured County Mayor, Mitch Ingram, serving as this our auctioneer. Mayor Ingram had the crowd in a bidding war over several prized items such as a one-week stay in a beach house in Seagrove Beach, Florida, a two-night stay at Sequoyah Landing, a String Trimmer/Blower, a side of beef, a sofa, and even a hand-carved hummingbird plaque.
As the live auction came to a close, the time came for the “big event”—the drawing for the 2022 Hot Pepper Red Metallic Ford Bronco, Black Diamond Edition! The ticket tumbler was readied by Carly Armstrong, Events/Finance Coordinator for the Monroe Area clubs. Round and round the tumbler was spun as anticipation built, until finally 10-year-old Riley Collins reached in and pulled the winning ticket: Jacqueline “Michelle” Johns from Knoxville, Tennessee! Turns out Michelle is a native of Monroe County. She proudly took possession of her brand new Bronco on August 16th at Jacky Jones Ford in Sweetwater.
The Monroe Area Board and Staff want to thank everyone who attended the Annual Auction and purchased a ticket for the Bronco Raffle. Board chair, Linda Huinker, said, “We want to truly thank our wonderful supporters of the Bronco Raffle and the Annual Auction. Our supporters help us to continue providing a safe, caring place for our children.” If you missed out on the Annual Auction this year, mark your calendar for the 24th Annual Auction already slated for August 12, 2023.
