OLDS — An online fundraising auction conducted by the Rotary Club of Olds was so successful that a spokesperson can envision it happening again.
“It was just awesome,” Vicky Barzey, the club’s community public image chair, said during an interview.
The event, called the Rotary Club of Olds Harvest Online Auction, ran Oct. 26 to Oct. 30 on Facebook.
All funds raised go toward the Rotary Athletic Park. The club is in the final stages of raising a total of $500,000 over five years to help fund creation of that facility, located just north of Walmart, along 70th Avenue.
Barzey said going into the event, the club was hopeful that maybe 75 to 100 people might participate.
Instead, more than 400 people did, raising about $37,000.
“As soon as it went live, the bidding just started. It was going crazy; and right through to the last second, before we shut them down on Thursday night and Friday night,” she said.
In contrast, Barzey said galas the club has organized in the past could only accommodate about 250 people, so there was a real limitation on the number of participants and thus, how much money can be raised.
As a result, she anticipates the club will do online fundraisers in the future.
“lt ran relatively smoothly for the first time around. So we’ll go back to the table and tweak some of the things, just to kind of debrief it for next year,” Barzey said.
“It was slick. And there were a couple of people that I knew didn’t have a Facebook page. But if they wanted to bid on something, we got together.
“We went through the items and they said, ‘I want to bid on this and this and here’s my dollar amount’ and so we could do it on their behalf.”
Barzey said local residents and businesses provided a wide range of items for auction.
Organizers were provided with everything from baking, quilts and crocheted items as well restaurant offerings and fitness equipment.
One couple offered two sides of beef.
École Olds High School teacher Renu Mathew, who starred in the Great Canadian Chocolate Showdown, offered workshops.
Fishing trips and a weekend in Bragg Creek were among the other experiences offered.
Barzey said the success of the online fundraiser doesn’t mean the club won’t organize a gala again.
"You know, the gala is still fantastic to bring the community together, right? But what a great way to still embrace a fundraising effort for the Rotary (Athletic) Park in today’s times,” she said.
“So will we do it again? I’m sure you’re going to see it again. Would we do a gala again? I’m sure that we would love to put on a function to bring the community together -- when we can.
“But this, by far, was awesome. It was just amazing; very, very good.”
On behalf of the club, Barzey expressed gratitude to Deb Unger and Joy Cavin for making the auction happen.
“It was countless hours for them,” she said.
Barzey said next, the club plans to run a fundraiser for Christmas time, whereby people can buy bags of shrimp.
Plans are also in the works for a Valentine’s-themed fundraiser.
