By Michelle Williams
“It’s basically nonstop from Easter to October. It starts with the egg hunt, and goes through pumpkins and hayrides,” said Jennifer Blandford, speaking about the many events where a PA system is utilized at Lions Park throughout the year. Blandford sits on the silent auction committee for the Lions Club Fall Festival to be held on Sept. 12. Her fundraising goal this year is to raise $25,000 and replace the existing PA system in the park.
“Right now, our PA system is basically speakers mounted on buildings. So you can hear it if you’re close to the buildings. But if you’re out in the park, you can’t hear it at all.” Blandford is confident that this year’s silent auction will drive in the funds to complete the project.
The Lions Club is still seeking donations for the silent auction, and donating business or individuals receive recognition on the website and during the auction. Blandford suggested that experience-based packages are the most popular auction items. “A round of golf with some golf lessons and lunch. A weekend getaway. Tickets to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with dinner downtown,” she said, adding that all donations are appreciated. Items such as gift baskets and products also typically do well in the auction each year.
“We’ve been very grateful for the community support in the last five years. We hope that this 6th go around is equally as strong,” said Blandford. She reported that Fall Festival typically attracts 20,000 visitors and more than 150 silent auction donations each year.
Blandford will be utilizing a special website providing bidders an opportunity to actively bid weeks prior to the actual auction. The site is live at www.qtego.net/auc/zlc, and Blandford encourages bidders to get registered. All bidding takes place using an app that may be downloaded to a variety of devices. Staff will be available to assist bidders with the setup process during the auction.
