The baskets are out; now let the bidding begin.
The 10th annual silent auction benefiting the Bella Vista Public Library has begun and will run until 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, said Susan Ferraro, chairwoman of the auction, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
The proceeds, which usually run $3,000 to $4,000, go toward the Friends' $150,000 five-year pledge to the library's expansion project, she said.
This year there are more than 90 baskets, pieces of artwork and other auction items for the public to bid on, said Ferraro, who has been involved in the auction since its inception.
Ferraro looks at the items that have been collected and assesses them to decide on the various themes for the baskets, which contain both new and old items.
"Everything is recycled," she said, adding that she takes the regifted items donated for the auction and mixes them with new things.
"People have been incredibly generous both as buyers and donors," she said of those who participate in the auction.
Dozens and dozens of patrons participate in bidding at the annual event, she pointed out. A lot of them will wait around the library to put in last-minute bids on a basket they have become particularly attached to.
The first basket she did 10 years ago had a half pound of coffee, two mugsand some fluffed paper with ribbon. The first bid was $12 and that's how the auction began.
The group gets a lot of stuff from different sources and everything comes together, said Ferraro who has a degree in fine arts design.
The silent auction is set up in the entry to the library, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday with additional hours until 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
"Everyone is welcome to come and bid," she said. A library card is not required to get involved with helping the Friends of the Library.
General News on 11/25/2015