One of the most important efforts of the Hope Lions Club is the annual Lions Club Christmas Auction, which has grown steadily in the 60 years it has been in existence.
This year’s event is set for Dec. 3-5 at Hope Fair Park Coliseum. The auction begins at 6 p.m. each evening and proceeds will go towards Christmas baskets for needy people in Hempstead County, as well as for other community projects.
Ed Flagg, longtime Lion, said they are now setting up for the auction.
“When we open those doors, we will be ready to go,” Flagg said. “We will begin with the posting of the colors by Troop 5 of the Boy Scouts. Harold Freeman will then give the invocation. We have quite a few auctioneers this year, including, but not limited to, Don Worthey, Don Honea, Jim Self, Harold Freeman, and myself.
“We have a number of great auction items this year, and we have 403 sponsors who are donating items,” he said. “That’s up from last year. Of course, Rudy Preston has over 20 travel packages this year and several items will be up for bids simultaneously for the radio and television audience as well as those who are there live.
“Jerry Westmoreland and Mark Keith will give ‘sponsor color’ this year to make the auction interesting,” he said. “They are giving recognition to sponsors via a superstar show.”
A what?
“It ought to be interesting,” Flagg quipped.
There are 82 Lions Club members at the present time and most of them will be helping with the auction.
“Bill Freeman is a large part of the auction and Linda Clark and Samantha Brewer will be on the phones taking bids,” Flagg said. “Jim Vaughan will pass out numbers at the door for the auction and will register visitors; Teddy Hays will be welcoming everyone at the door; James Griffin will announce items, and Willie Kesterson will record items. Claudia Griffin, Bobby Loe, and Naida and Ken Shaffer will do the accounting.”
In the pit, James “Jigs” Purtle and Olen Dorman, will be assisting. Some local industries have donated some big construction items and the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope will donate a smoker/cooker, as it has for many years.
“The Lions Club passes out 100 Christmas baskets per year and we will continue that tradition,” Flagg said. “The Lions work with other organizations for the betterment of the community. All of the money we raise go to civic groups and the community. And we get a lot of support from our local newspaper, radio, and television and we appreciate that greatly.”
