The 71st annual Rotary Auction raised $66,111 on opening night, which is nearly $16,000 ahead of last year’s auction at the same point.
Most of the money tallied on Monday came from cash donations to the Hour Club and Goat Club, with a combined $58,175. In the auction itself, Rotarians sold 88 items and brought in $6,526. The diner and sweet shop generated $1,410.
Auction chairman Cody Noffsinger predicted the 2021 fundraiser could break records.
“We’re going to set the bar high,” he said at the conclusion of opening night.
The auction runs nightly through Saturday at the Memorial Building downtown.
For the most part, the auction has returned to its traditional format after the coronavirus pandemic forced Rotarians to delay and scale back the 2020 auction.
The main auction will run from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and from 6 p.m. until the last item is sold on Saturday.
2021 Rotary Auction Coverage:
- Rotary Auction set for its 6-day run at the Memorial Building
- Rotary Auction well ahead of last year’s opening night
- Rotary Auction raises nearly $100,000 after 2 nights
- Rotary Auction pushes above $138,000 on 3rd night
- Superintendent takes a pie for the team after schools smash Rotary Auction goal
- Rotary Auction tally at $185,086 after 4 nights
The public may attend in person or follow the auction live on the Hopkinsville Rotary Club’s website or on WHOP Radio, 98.7 FM. It’s also available on Spectrum TV channel 367.
Under the state’s current COVID-19 restrictions, masks are required inside the Memorial Building. Volunteers at the entrance were handing out masks Monday evening.
Seating is available in the lobby and under a tent outside for diners. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Friday, and dinner is available every evening from 5 to 8.
The Rotary Auction raises money for college scholarships.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
