The Rotary Seawalk project is the beneficiary of this year’s Rotary auction.
In all, Rotarians raised a gross total of $116,500 through the TV broadcast from Shaw Cable and online, with Rotary teams taking bids through the event.
“It was very successful,” said Graham Stewart, Rotary Noon Club auction chair. “We had a good time raising some funds for the community…. The two together create that kind of funding for the community of Campbell River.”
The total comes in ahead of last year’s record-breaking $111,500.
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This year marked the 44th year for the event. The auction started at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23 and ran until 10:30 p.m. and resumed the Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Rotary starts contacting businesses in the community in the late summer about donating items for the auction, with many donating year after year. The items up for bid this year, anything from works by local artists to electronic goods to food products or gift certificates to clothing. In all, there were more than 600 items donated this year.
“Everything we get, we put on there for the public to be able to purchase, to help support us,” Stewart says.
While Rotary has international projects, this TV auction supports local campaigns – in this case, the proceeds will allow for continued work on the Seawalk between the Discovery Mall area and the BC Ferries terminal to Quadra Island.
“This year, the funding is going toward the extension of the Seawalk,” Stewart said, adding this will allow people to walk on a hard surface between Dick Murphy Park and Willow Point. “It’ll be very nice when it’s done.”
In the past, Rotary has raised money for a range of community projects, such as the suspension bridge at Elk Falls, Willow Point’s splash park, an infant centre at Carihi Secondary, the fieldhouse at the new soccer field at Robron, the Tidemark Theatre sound system and previous work at the Seawalk.
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