by Carla Ruschival
The 2019 ACB Radio Holiday Auction, held on Dec. 8, was full of fun and surprises. The Holiday Auction Committee began its work in August. From September until November, phones rang and email arrived telling us about great items that were coming from individuals, affiliates and businesses. Descriptions were written, photos taken, and items posted to the Auction Preview Page on the ACB website.
The evening arrived. The Auction broadcast team was in place at TheRadioStorm.com studios in Louisville, Ky. It was 6 p.m. Eastern - Holiday Auction time on ACB Radio. People were listening on the Zoom phone line and on their computers, iPads and Echoes. Dan Spoone, ACB president, was on the air, welcoming everyone to the big event. It was time for the bidding to begin.
Around 2 a.m. Eastern time the bidding was over; 70 items had been sold. But there was more auction fun to come.
We were unable to air all of our items for a variety of reasons. So, for the first time, we held a virtual auction, posting six items on email lists and taking bids by phone. We received many positive comments about the virtual auction, and it will probably happen again in the future.
An auction needs both donors and bidders to be successful. A huge thanks to our record number of generous 2019 donors: ACB Lions; ACB Families; ACB of Minnesota; ACB Summer Auction Committee; Aira; Anthony Akamine; Arkansas Council of the Blind; Margarine Beaman; Keri Bishop; Blind Information Technology Specialists (BITS); Blind Treasures; Donna Brown; Buddy Gray Music Center; Jason Castonguay; Brian Charlson; Kim Charlson; Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI); Ed Coupe; Patti Cox; Melissa DuBose; Janet Dickelman; Dan Dillon; Florida Council of the Blind; David and Shauna Franklin; Kelly Gasque; Greater Louisville Council of the Blind; Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI); Mike Hartwig; Mary Haupt; Hawaii Association of the Blind; Debbie Hazelton; Terri-Lynn Higashi; Illinois Council of the Blind Board of Directors; InstantBrands.com; Connie Jacomini; Kentucky Council of the Blind; Deb Cook Lewis; Library Users of America (LUA); Missouri Council of the Blind; Adele Moller; Adam Ruschival; Alan Shrebtienko; Patty Slaby; Bill Sparks; Dan Spoone; Leslie Spoone; Jeff and Leslie Thom; Tom Tobin; David Trott; Brenda Williams; Sharlene Wills.
Big thank-yous to all of the winning bidders:
Anthony Akamine, Melanie Brunson, Karyn Campbell, Ray Campbell, Kim Carmichael, Denise Colley, Natalie Couch, Viola Cruz, Debbie Deatherage, Andrea DeKlotz, Chris Devin, Janet Dickelman, Brent Ford, Cari Ford, Katie Frederick, Peggy Garrett, Chris Gray, Tom Hanson, Mary Haroyan, Mary Haupt, Terri-Lynn Higashi, Joseph Hodge, Connie Jacomini, Terrell Jones, Maria Kristic, Cecilia Lee, Deb Cook Lewis, Jean Mann, Adele Moller, Marcia Moses, Rhonda Nelson, Donna Pomerantz, Mitch Pomerantz, Marvelena Quesada, Shirley Roberts, Debbie Rozear, Carla Ruschival, Barbara Salisbury, Karen Shrawder, Alan Shrebtienko, Dan Siebert, Ralph Smitherman, Dan Spoone, Leslie Spoone, Sharon Strzalkowski, Leslie Thom, David Trott, Nancy Ungar, Vicki Vogt, Erica Wolf, Sharlene Wills, Sheila Young, and Vita Zavoli.
Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this auction a success: the Holiday Auction Committee, the ACB staff in Minneapolis and Alexandria, the ACB Radio Management Team, and TheRadioStorm.com.
The ACB Radio Holiday Auction Committee is looking forward to the 2020 extravaganza, and we hope you are, too.