If anything says “community spirit” it’s a $2,000 bid for one dozen phantom eggs.
Traditionally Norma Hughes, 95-year-old Ovando resident, has brought two dozen eggs to the Ovando Harvest Dinner. The eggs are a high seller, earning $1,700 in 2023 to support the Ovando Sew and So club in its community projects.
This year’s auction on Nov. 8 was a little different as a fox got into Hughes’ chicken house recently and killed all but two hens. Hughes sent a note to the Harvest Dinner explaining her dilemma and inability to donate eggs this year.
Auctioneer Kevin Ertl, from Helmville, read the note to the crowd and suggested that a dozen phantom eggs be auctioned off. Again a high-seller, the crowd drove the phantom egg bid up to $2,000.
The dinner opened with the customary potluck where about 120 attendees ate and caught up with neighbors, perused the silent and live auctions items and stocked up on raffle and 50-50 tickets. The yearly event has been going from “forever” to over 80 years, according to locals.
There were dozens of items in the silent auction, with homemade baking, artwork, sewing, apples and other items garnering several competing bids. Raffle tickets were for four gift baskets for home goods, drinks, charcuterie and a hamburger basket.
The live auction started out with Ertl putting up a large glass apothecary jar full of ginger cookies dipped in white chocolate for bid. The $400 got everyone’s attention and bidding was active throughout the auction.
A bidding war near the end drove up the price for praline cookies donated by Emma McNally, from Ovando. The crowd was enthusiastic as the price went up to $1,050.
Overall, the auction brought in $18,000. The Ovando Sew and So Club uses the funds to help community members with pressing needs.
Reader Comments(0)