Gala Auction set for Feb. 5

Amusement park passes, a Kindle, lattes, movies and more are among the items currently available for bid online and at the Northwestern College Alumni Association’s 28th annual Gala Auction on Saturday, Feb. 5.

Items on the silent auction will be available for browsing and bidding beginning at 3 p.m. in the Rowenhorst Student Center (RSC) gym on the 5th. The popular verbal auction begins at 7.

This year’s auction already includes many items that can be browsed and bid on at www.nwciowa.edu/auction.

Golf packages for courses around the Midwest are on the block. Passes for family fun at Wild Water West near Sioux Falls, Adventureland near Des Moines, and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo will also be up for bid.

Technology enthusiasts can bid on a Nikon digital camera or Memorex HD camcorder. Food lovers may go home with Iowa pork chops, Wisconsin cheese, or gift certificates for area restaurants, including Blue Mountain Culinary Emporium, Butler’s Café and Coffee, or Archie’s Waeside.

Visit the auction website to search for specific items of interest and to bid online if you can’t attend on Feb. 5.

But come to the Saturday event if you can, encourages Aletha Beeson in Northwestern’s advancement office. “Table seating at the auction encourages gatherings of families and friends and makes it as much a social event as a fundraiser,” she says. “And being there in person is the surest way to guarantee you’ll win the bid.”

Auction proceeds support scholarships, student life programs and teaching excellence at Northwestern. Last year’s auction was attended by 600 and raised around $35,000; 40 students received $1,000 Alumni Association scholarships for this school year.

As a warm-up to the auction, Northwestern fans are invited to watch the Red Raider basketball teams take on the Hastings Broncos Saturday afternoon. Both games will be in the Bultman Center; the women play at 2 p.m., the men play at 4.

A family-friendly pre-auction meal of chicken and pulled-pork sandwiches will be served in the RSC gym beginning at 5 p.m. The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for kids age 6-10; children under 5 eat free. Free refreshments will be available during the auction.

Childcare is available also beginning at 5 p.m. by students raising support for Spring Service Project trips. Parents can pre-register at 712-707-7134 or events@nwciowa.edu, or register the night of the auction.

Bidders’ books with a complete listing of the items will be available beginning Monday, Jan. 24, at the RSC desk, Orange City businesses and MJ’s Sinclair in Sioux Center.