Rotarians want to make diamond jubilee sparkle

POULSBO — Rotary International turns 100 this year and Poulsbo/North Kitsap Rotary members figure the best birthday present would be raising $100,000 to support their work.

In one night.

Local rotarians have set a goal of $100,000 worth of merchandise donated to their annual fund-raiser auction, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. April 24 at the Poulsbo Sons of Norway.

The auction is the biggest fund-raiser of the year for the civic organization. Proceeds go toward a variety of projects within the Poulsbo community and beyond. Last# year’s auction earned $68,000, from which some expenditures went to: annual scholarships ($10,000); Martha & Mary beds campaign ($2,800); Habitat for Humanity ($2,250); Marine Science Center ($750); domestic violence issues ($15,600); and International Clean Water projects ($2,000).

“Honestly, (the auction is) a big deal for the incoming president because that’s where we make all the money to spend the next year,” explained Jim Sund, Poulsbo/North Kitsap Rotary’s president-elect.

With only about one month to go, Rotarians are now on the lookout for items to auction off at this year’s event. Part of last year’s success was the donation of a new vehicle by the Courtesy Auto Group. Sund said he’s hoping someone will step forward with an equally generous item to help this year’s auction.

“We’re a little behind, but we always pull it off,” Sund commented. “We just had a big motivational session last week so we’ll see how it goes. We’ve got three weeks to pull it off.”

Donations so far include:

•A membership to Poulsbo Athletic Club

•Ballroom dance lessons

•A teeth-whitening kit

•Round-trip airplane tickets for two

•A week’s stay in a Hood River vacation home

•A vasectomy

•A colonoscopy

•An antique roll-top desk

This year’s event will also include a fund-an-item opportunity, however, the beneficiary has not yet been chosen. Last year’s auction raised $8,800 to buy a van for Fishline Food Bank to use in picking up donated items.

Tickets to the April 24 auction cost $50 per person and include a champagne reception, dinner and dessert, as well as entry into a drawing. Sund said the raffle prize has not yet been determined, however, it will be valued at between $500 and $1,000.

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