Bikers roll in bids

Trips, tires and traffic lights are only a few of the items won at GCSU’s 11th Annual Athletic Auction, last Saturday night.

The auction raised about $40,000, enough money to support 20 athletes on scholarship.

Local businesses along with parents and community members contributed donations such as a romantic night in the legendary Ritz-Carlton Lodge, a baseball signed by Bobby Cox, a seven night stay at Summer Bay Resort in Orlando and a dinner with GCSU President Dr. Dorothy Leland at the Old Governor’s Mansion.

This year’s festivities at the auction included a guest, The Rx Band, a local six-piece group that played oldies such as “I Love Rock and Roll” and “Brown Eyed Girl.”

Stan Aldridge, GCSU’s recently retired former athletic director and mastermind behind the Athletic Auction, was in full gear for this year’s motorcycle themed festivities sporting a bandana.

“The Athletic Auction started out small but is now our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Aldridge said. “Since 1998, the auction has raised close to $600,000 for student scholarships.”

Donations have typically raised between $35,000 and $40,000 each year to be put toward scholarships for student-athletes who excel both on the playing field and working in the classroom.

“All of the athletes on scholarships are blessed,” said Tiauna Brantley, women’s basketball team member and a scholarship recipient. “The Athletic Auction is wonderful and is a great opportunity to raise money.”

According to Patti Weimer, administrative assistant to the athletic department, the auction holds a dual purpose.

“One-for the Academic Excellence Scholarship,” Weimer said. “And two-for special projects when there is money left over.”

Redoing floors and building dugouts are examples of special projects.

The Academic Excellence Scholarship is for entering freshman with a 3.5 GPA, as measured by the admissions department. Students after receiving the scholarship must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Tickets were $100 per couple or $500 for a reserved table. The tickes included dinner, an open bar, an opportunity to bid on donated items and a chance to win a $10,000 reverse raffle.

There are currently 67 students at GCSU receiving scholarships funded by the Athletic Department with help from the Athletic Auction.

The auction held in the Centennial Center, requires a lot of volunteer work and invested time. According to Weimer, preparations for the auction began as early as January.

The Auction’s Committee was set up and members, made up of community residents and faculty, worked on the committee to figure out what kind of ideas and business packages for the silent auction would go over the best and raise the most money.

“We lumped donations from local and surrounding businesses together,” said Joni Smith, member of the Auction’s Committee, and wife to head chair Ted Smith. “So packages up for bid would be more cohesive.”

Some of the local business donations create quite a buzz for auction attendees. A mad scramble of scribbling and bidding is a definite result as the last seconds of the silent auction dwindle away.

Karen Hicks, a Milledgeville local who also chaired the auction in 2005 and 2006, had some bidding tips.

“It’s good to have a system,” Hicks said. “As time runs out you can forget what you bid on, so its good to keep track of the table color and item number.”

With an open bar at the event it might also be a good idea to remember how much money you have allotted for the night’s festivities.

“In the end it’s not about the money,” Weimer said. “It’s about bringing the community and the school together. It’s a good way to get people on campus that don’t usually come. And it’s for a great cause.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 17 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry