The Kiwanis Club of Winchester is hoping things go a little more smoothly when its annual charity auction begins Thursday night.
The three-day auction ran into a bit of trouble last year when there were connection problems with the online digital streaming and a tornado blew through on the first day.
“We hope to have a better audience this year,” auction co-chair Robert Blanton said. “We hope to have a better internet connection. Last year, it was spotty and not very good.”
The event runs through Saturday and will be televised on Time-Warner Cable Channel 5 and broadcast on WKYN 107.7 FM. It will also be streamed at winchesterkiwanis.com.
Blanton said the club opted to use a local vendor for the streaming this year, pinning its hopes on Jeff Mohr of Something Mohr Productions, who streamed the candidates forum from the Clark County Cooperative Extension Office in the fall.
The club raised around $13,000 last year, which was up a bit from previous years, Blanton said, and with the improvement of the internet connection, the auction could do a little better this year since the donations have been comparable to those made last year.
“We’re on track to be about the same as last year in terms of items and the value of the items,” Blanton said.
That money will help fund the Walk with a Child program in the fall. The program buys school clothes for children and shoes during the year. Some is also used to fund scholarships, but nearly $10,000 goes to Walk with a Child.
In the past, Kiwanis has been a contributor to the 4-H Youth Program, Operation Happiness, Bluegrass Heritage Museum, the community swimming pool and the Clark County Public Library.
They also helped construct the playground at the Generation Center and purchased cots and blankets for the American Red Cross, among other activities.
People who want to make a donation without bidding on items can call the auction line.
“If anyone wants to donate, they can call when the auction starts and make a donation,” Blanton said.
Contact Casey Castle at ccastle@winchestersun.com.
