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Updated: December 14, 2024 @ 2:03 am
Auctioneer Matt Ford handles live bidding while a variety of wreaths up for purchase are displayed at the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Holiday Auction Tuesday, December 3 at The Center for Rural Development.
Auctioneer Matt Ford handles live bidding while a variety of wreaths up for purchase are displayed at the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Holiday Auction Tuesday, December 3 at The Center for Rural Development.
It will be a merry Christmas once again for local high school students looking to attend Somerset Community College thanks to the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Auction.
Auction committee co-chair Kathy Sears confirmed to the Commonwealth Journal this week that a total of more than $36,500 was raised to fund scholarships for local students this year.
An in-person auction — which included live bidding with auctioneer Matt Ford and a silent auction — was held at The Center for Rural Development on Tuesday, December 3 during this month’s Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon.
Additional bidding continued that week however on the Ford Brothers Inc. Auctioneers website, ending on Friday, December 6 at 4 p.m. That auction contained around 75 items, to go along with the collection of items auctioned off at The Center, numbering over 100, for both the live and silent auctions.
The online auction contained a number of coveted items, from big tickets to stocking stuffers, including a trailer from Gatormade, televisions, gift cards, tools, Pulaski County Park cabin rentals, and Christmas decor, as well as much more.
This year’s event puts the Chamber Holiday Auction at having raised around $270,000 over its existence; SCC partnered with the Chamber regarding the scholarships around a decade and a half ago and 122 have been given out to date, with another seven or eight likely this year.
“The support from the chamber and community has been incredible,” stated Dr. Carey Castle, President and CEO of SCC. “Each year, we see this auction grow, and it’s amazing to see the commitment everyone has to investing in our students at SCC. We are deeply grateful to everyone who donated, bid, and contributed to the event’s success.”
Bobby Clue, Executive Director of the Somerset-Pulaski Chamber of Commerce, said that the 15th annual Holiday Auction was an “overwhelming success” and expressed gratitude to the support of local businesses, residents and partners.
“Thanks to the generosity of those who donated and bid. We’ve not only raised vital funds for local scholarships, but we’ve also brought our community closer together during this special time of year,” said Clue. “The outpouring of enthusiasm and participation demonstrates the strength of our local economy and the spirit of collaboration that makes Lake Cumberland such a wonderful place to live and work.”
The goal of the Holiday Auction committee, co-chaired by Sears and Beverly Withers, was to raise $30,000 this year, after having done $34,000 last year, so that goal was successfully cleared.
“I have about 20 people on my committee,” Sears told the Commonwealth Journal. ”My committee members do a wonderful job. Everything is donated by businesses, small and large. We have large ticket items like (those from) Gatormade, and then we have $50 gift certificates, and lots of ballgame tickets. We appreciate the small all the way to the large, because they all come through.”
The scholarships are awarded based on financial need as determined by the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Awardees are chosen by the SCC Scholarship Committee.
“The committee and Bobby Clue are confident that this scholarship (funding avenue) will be there for many years,” said Sears.
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