By 5:30 PM Friday, a long line had formed in the Cadiz Baptist Church Annex parking lot — faithful citizens waiting for the door to open on the final night of the 56th Annual Cadiz Rotary Radio Auction, and even more so anticipating fried fish n’ fixin’s from Genesis Express.
The smell of food crept up the hill, and in the cool, crisp evening, the final hours of the first in-person effort since pre-COVID echoed in the downtown.
Five hours later, Rotary President and Auction Chair Alana Baker-Dunn had nothing but the best of news to report from the “Homegrown” effort — enlisting fellow Rotarians to slowly hold up sheets with numbers, until the total fundraising was revealed.
Again, it’s $357,002.17 — far surpassing the modest goal of $300,000 set last November, when club officials announced their theme and first call for auction items.
According to News Edge President/CEO and Rotarian Beth Mann, it’s the single-largest campaign for a standalone auction in Cadiz history. Last spring, the 55th Annual Auction raised more than $421,000, but more than $100,000 went to Genesis Express for its development of the Intergenerational Center on Jefferson Street.
Speaking of Genesis Express, and according to John Ladd, their food sold out just as dusk turned to dark.
The return of an in-person auction also meant the return of the beloved “Country Boy” store, which for the week helped raise more than $2,500.
Rotarian J.B. Moore noted it was the perfect kind of “catch-all” for donations that maybe aren’t good enough to be on the floor or in the online store, but could go to someone looking for a great deal. Its operator this year, Missy Burgess, said it made more than $500 on Friday night alone.
In all, the W.J. Hopson Kickoff Breakfast last Monday raised $10,255. The live auction netted $40,714, and the online auction snagged $64,075.81. Bell sponsors, another first for this year, brought in $3,250. “Fill The Pits,” which had Genesis Express step to the plate once again with fired Boston Butts and whole chicken, raised $2,120.
Century Club donations eclipsed $222,000. Mann and Rotarian John Rufli reiterated that this type of philanthropy can come from anywhere, at any time. And a lot of it came this week.
Truth be told, it was an absolute mad dash for auction items in the final four weeks leading up to the live affair. Moore, however, said by the bell’s final toll, more than 900-plus items were won by the public.
Checkout and pickup for said items is set for 8 AM until noon Saturday at the Cadiz Baptist Church Annex. If one cannot retrieve their items by then, they should alert a Rotarian or reach out to the club by Facebook message or e-mail.
