FORKS — The 2023 Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction will offer more than 1,000 items this weekend, according to the president of the event.
The auction will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Forks High School commons at 261 Spartan Ave. It is back to its usual two-day schedule after offering only one day last year due to COVID-19, said Jerry Leppell, president of the auction.
Baked goods — including cookies and blackberry pies — hand-made items from Olympic Corrections Center, firewood, hunting trips, custom wood sculptures, paintings, gift baskets, gift certificates and many more items are offered in the auction, Leppell said.
“It’s little things that the community is going crazy on,” he said.
This is the 59th year of the auction, Leppell said. This year, it coincides with a new Twilight weekend, Forever Twilight Forks Equinox, which invites Twilight fans to bid.
“Any time you get more people there it’s a win-win,” Leppell said. “The more people, the better.”
The annual two-day fundraiser brings in money for Forks High School graduates, who can apply for two-year scholarships to business school, trade school, beauty school or college at graduation or any time in the future. The auction is organized by members of the graduating class.
Last year, it raised about $138,000 for scholarships, Leppell said.
“Our community is what makes the scholarship auction special,” he said, adding that in addition to bids, the auction also pulls in donations from all over the world, including Korea.
“There are a lot of Forks graduates around,” he said.
The auction is not online this year. Those who want to participate by phone are urged to call Leppell at 360-640-1849.
