Alleghany Heart Fund Auction volunteers announce and record bids during the first Saturday of this year's fundraising effort at radio station WCOK. Pictured are (seated, from left) Sandy Carter, Dudley Carpenter, Virginia Setzer and Cornelia Reeves. Tom Atwood (standing) offered some auctioneering tips.

Heart Auction hits new record

Earlier this month, Alleghany Heart Fund Auction Chairwoman Virginia Setzer said the goal for this year's fundraising effort was to meet or exceed last year's total of $15,217.

The local American Heart Association chapter did just that and set a new record, with $15,770 raised in the auction the last two Saturdays.

"We just had a big drum roll, and we all stood up and clapped our hands," Setzer said of the auction's conclusion when the record was reached. About 15 or 16 volunteers were on hand last Saturday to help with the second installment of the 36th annual auction, which originated from the studios of radio station WCOK and was broadcast on the station.

With some last-minute financial engineering, the totals raised for each of the two Saturdays were equal. At the end of last Saturday, the day's total was $17 short of the amount raised Feb. 15. One of the nearby Heart Auction friends kicked in the $17 needed to make the two Saturdays match at $7,885 each.

While the auction overall set a fundraising record, neither day's individual total matched the single-day mark set last year, when $8,662 was raised the second Saturday of the auction. The second Saturday typically sees a bigger total than the first.

Nevertheless, Setzer said of Feb. 22, "We had a really good day."

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back