Orono-Old Town Kiwanis cancels 73rd annual auction

ORONO, Maine — This year’s annual auction put on by the Orono-Old Town Kiwanis Club has been canceled, the club’s President-Elect Mary Skaggs said Monday afternoon. 

The event — which has been held annually in July since 1946 — joins the slew of events which have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The three-day auction typically brings in between $40,000 – $50,000 every year, which the club uses to support other community organizations such as local libraries, scouting programs, Special Olympics, the Ronald McDonald House and more. 

“This is our big huge fundraiser that we have every year,” Skaggs said. 

This is the first time the auction has been canceled in nearly 75 years. “It’s a big deal for us to do that,” she said. 

Realizing that they couldn’t maintain the required six-foot physical distance at all times while getting items ready for the auction, the club decided it would be better to cancel the event, Skaggs said.

They also didn’t want to solicit donations from local businesses that are struggling through the pandemic, either. For now, they’ll continue taking donations for next year’s auction. 

“We’ll just keep collecting and have a huge auction next year,” she said. 

Despite not being able to gather together in their usual fashion, Kiwanis Club members are still active in the community. 

Each year the group gives away two scholarships for students at both Old Town and Orono high schools. This year, they decided to give three scholarships for each school, worth $2,400 broken up over two years. 

The group also donated 15 gift cards to local restaurants to families who needed them and gave money to the Old Town booster club to help put on their graduation ceremony at the Old Town Municipal Airport on Friday. 

“We felt that that was something that was needed … especially during these difficult times,” Skaggs said. 

Next year’s auction is slated for July 15, 16 and 17, 2021. People can call the Kiwanis Club to donate items for the auction at 207-866-4816.