When the weeklong 73rd Hopkinsville Rotary Auction starts Monday, April 17, at the Memorial Building, chairman Brandon Killebrew will be counting on a story as old as the auction itself to generate extra enthusiasm for the effort.
The Goat Club, inspired by the legend of a live goat that was sold over and over again during the first Rotary Auction in 1951, is getting a boost this year.
Rotarian and Christian County Historian William T. Turner will be greeting auction guests and accepting cash donations from everyone who wants to “buy the goat” one more time. Donors can receive a Goat Club membership card and will be asked to add their signature to a large goat sign.
Turner, a member since 1971, is the longest serving current member of Hopkinsville Rotary.
“I hope to see that goat covered in signatures by the end of the week,” Killebrew told Hoptown Chronicle.
The Goat Club might serve as a spark for the week. But it will take many large donations to the Hour Club and competitive bidding on numerous auction items to raise the kind of money last year’s auction produced.
The final tally in 2022 was $536,335, which set a new record.
Like last year’s auction chairman, Killebrew has not set an auction goal.
The theme he chose for 2023 is “Making an Impact: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.”
“This theme gives us an opportunity to celebrate the decades of history and tradition of this auction while also celebrating the impact it has had in years past and will have now and in years to come,” Killebrew said when he announced plans for the auction.
Auction proceeds cover tuition expenses for local high school graduates who qualify to attend Hopkinsville Community College for two years on a Rotary Scholarship. Other scholarships are designed to assist students in specific fields of study, such as education majors who want to teach in Christian County Public Schools.
Rotary also funds a foundation that makes grants to programs that benefit the community.
The auction begins at 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Memorial Building. It is broadcast live on WHOP radio, and a livestream will be available on the club’s website. Bids can be made in person or by calling 270-885-7500. Businesses or individuals who want to donate auction items should call 270-886-3034.
In addition to the main auction, Rotarians feature special items on the Big Board. Some of those items include a dinner for 10 at Novadell, two meals a week for 50 weeks at Bar-B-Que Shack, bedroom furniture from Herb Hays and a barrel pick experience at Casey Jones Distillery. Bids may be placed online for the Big Board.
The Hour Club donations can be made online. A $182 donation covers the cost of one credit hour of tuition at HCC. Donors are recognized at levels of giving — starting at the Associate Degree Level for $182 to $909 and advancing to the highest Chancellor Level for $20,000 or more.
The Rotary Diner serves hundreds of meals during the week. Lunch is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Dinner is 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Special dinners will include smoked pit chicken on Thursday, fried catfish on Friday and ribeye sandwich on Saturday. Carry-out orders can be placed by calling 270-885-8424.
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.
