Kiwanis TV auction moved to November

While it’s traditionally been held in the springtime, the annual Kiwanis TV auction is scheduled for Nov. 8 this year.
Kiwanian Shanda DeGagne-Begin, chairperson of the TV auction committee, said last week this will be the 30th anniversary of the fundraiser and the local Kiwanis wanted to change things up a bit.
“I know a lot of people are wondering, ‘We haven’t heard anything. What’s going on?’ But yes, we are still having the auction; we just changed the time of year—hopefully to make our audience as large as possible,” she explained.
She noted late April/early May can be especially busy and people are more likely to watch the auction from home in November.
“We’re going to try a fall auction so people can look for Christmas gifts,” said DeGagne-Begin. “It’s a slower time of year for more people before the Christmas rush starts.”
Just like every other year, the TV auction will be broadcast on Channel 10 (Shaw) and feature plenty of items donated by district businesses for callers to bid on.
But DeGagne-Begin added there will be a new technological twist to the fundraiser this time around.
“We’re looking at an online component, whether it be through our own website or through eBay; we haven’t quite decided yet,” she explained.
“We’re still working on whether it will be just one lot of items or every item available,” she added. “[Kiwanis auctions are] done a lot of different ways across Canada.
“We’re looking at all of our alternatives.”
DeGagne-Begin noted a “webcast” is another possibility, so local residents who do not subscribe to Shaw instead will be able to watch the auction live on their computer—wherever they may be.
“We’re hoping to reach a broader audience and have something for everybody,” she remarked, adding this is the Kiwanis Club’s second-biggest fundraiser of the year behind its “Trip of the Month” draw.
“We want to make the most money so we can give it back to the residents of Fort Frances,” DeGagne-Begin stressed.
Proceeds from the TV auction go towards numerous causes, including Sunny Cove Camp, the Riverside Foundation for Health Care, district 4-H, Fort Frances Public Library, high school bursaries, Northwestern Health Unit projects, “Relay for Life,” “Meals on Wheels,” the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts, Fort Frances Community Chest, and the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle and “Adopt-a-Family” programs.