FORKS — The Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction set a new all-time record over the weekend, taking in $128,195.
The 53rd annual fundraiser not only surpassed Chairman Jerry Leppell’s goal of $92,000, which was $1,000 over the earlier record, but also broke the $100,000 mark for the first time.
The annual two-day fundraiser, held Saturday and Sunday, raises money for Forks High School and Quileute Tribal school graduates, who can apply not once but twice for a scholarship at graduation or anytime in the future.
This year’s auction was organized by members of the Class of 2017. Student coordinators for the auction were Zachary Carlson and Jessica Paul.
“This class really worked hard, they did an amazing job and this community, what can I say?” Leppell said.
The highest-priced item at the auction was a quad donated by Jennifer Zaccardo, who had won it in the Forks Lions Club raffle. The quad went for $6,800 to Ken Ulin on Saturday.
Amy Kitchel’s wild blackberry pies went for $100 to $250 each and Judi McClanahan’s pie a month for a year went for $875. McClanahan also donated her late husband Larry’s pool table to the auction, with Donald Grafstrom being the successful bidder.
At the end of the day Saturday, the auction had set a new one-day record of $55,000.
A 2002 Mazda 626 LX donated by Wilder Auto of Port Angeles went up for bid Sunday afternoon and went for $4,000. Another big item was an autographed football signed by members of the Seahawks team that went for $2,100.
On Sunday, the auction went into overtime as items large and small that had been donated by businesses and individuals were sold.
Committee member JoMarie Miller said that there were so many items that when 8 p.m. came and went, the auction went into overtime finally winding down about 10 p.m.
Most of the donations came in the last week.
“It was less than a week before the auction and we had about 100 items,” Leppell said.
He called an emergency meeting of the senior class and asked them to bring in more donations.
On Friday afternoon, a steady stream of donations was coming into Forks High School. In the end, 1,500 items went up for auction Saturday and Sunday.
The auction was aired live over the local radio station 96.7 and a live feed on YouTube. Senior Parents offered concessions with the funds going to the Senior Safe Night activity held graduation night.
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This was taken from a story written by Christi Baron, editor of the Forks Forum. The Forum is a member of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is also composed of the Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette, all owned by Sound Publishing. Reach her at cbaron@forksforum.com.
