ESTEVAN — The bid items continue to be a vital part of the United Way Estevan’s telethon.
Dozens of homemade items will be available for people to purchase through a silent auction at the telethon on Oct. 14 and 15 at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. Michelle Beaulieu, who is the chairperson of the bid and raffle committee, said they have received a lot of really nice donations this year, and they have a couple of new donors.
“The items are absolutely gorgeous,” said Beaulieu. “There’s a lot of hard work that people have put into these handmade items. We’re very happy with the quality of items that we have, and we’re very thankful to all of our donors. They have put a lot of hard work into these pieces.”
There is great variety this year, too, she said, with pictures, home décor items, stuffed animals, tables, gift certificates for homemade food and photography, and much more.
They don’t have as many items as last year, when they had 134, which was by far the most ever, but Beaulieu said they still have some great donations.
The items they have received are on display at Murray GM, and will remain there until just before the telethon. People can view them now, and they will garner lots of attention during a kick-off lunch Oct. 12 at the dealership.
“I encourage everyone to go take a look at them, and we will be adding more as they come in,” said Beaulieu.
Having the items on display at Murray GM gives them a little more advance exposure, she said.
For the third straight year, the United Way will also post their bid items on a Facebook page several days before the telethon. People can view them starting on Oct. 10 and bidding will start two days later.
Last year the bid items raised nearly $12,000.
“Our board supports a lot of community projects, and so having the bid items and all these donations, every penny counts,” said Beaulieu. “So, it’s a big part of our fundraising that we do for the telethon.”
If someone wants to submit something, they can contact Beaulieu at 306-458-7960 to arrange a pickup. She hopes to have all of the items by Oct. 10.
