CLEARLAKE, Calif. – There were 26 pots “boiling with Rotarians” at the Rotary Club of Clearlake's 11th annual Seafood Boil and Auction Saturday at the Clearlake Senior Center.
The club, with the assistance of students from Carle and Lower Lake high schools, served 1,000 pounds of seafood to the 208 guests it welcomed to its primary fundraiser of the year.
Though what he meant to convey was Rotarians were boiling 26 pots of seafood in preparation of the night's dinner, club president/co-auctioneer Peter Ventura's welcoming remarks kicked off the event with an uproar of laughter.
The event featured an entertainment lineup filled with live and silent auctions, sponsorship drives, 50/50 raffle and wine tasting courtesy of Steele Wines.
Ventura said while the support in ticket sales is appreciated, the majority of profits garnered from the event are raised through the auctions, and as such, he encouraged guests to bid generously.
More than 100 donors contributed to the live and silent auctions. Diamond jewelry, oil paintings, garden art, pet gifts, wine, a vintage record player, Jagermeister barbecue and a multitude of other items filled the silent auction.
“I came in here (the day before the event) and every table was piled with donations. About an hour later, all the silent auction tables were set up. These kids are wonderful,” club member Carl Webb said with regard to the student volunteers.
With eight items up for grabs Ventura, and his co-auctioneer Terry Stewart, upped bids to total $5,900 in live auction funds.
The top bid was put up by Karen Slooten, who donated $2,100 in exchange for a customized jungle adventure in Costa Rica with host and tour guide Bill MacDougall, former superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District.
The second-highest bid, which was for the first item of the auction, bought premium seats at a Giants baseball game. After the auction closed on the $1,000 bid, Stewart advised buyer Gene Renner not to tell the auctioneer he was going to buy an item no matter what.
In addition to proceeds raised in the live auction, another $1,550 was raised in sponsorship drives supporting the club's community Christmas dinner program and its “The Children are the Future” program, which provides a new dictionary to every third grade student in the Konocti Unified School District.
The Rotary Club of Clearlake was founded in 1973. Its motto of “Service Above Self” is realized through contributions in education, healthcare, youth, veterans and other community programs.
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