Hammer time: auction success for Salvos

THE CROWD may have been smaller than anticipated for the first Salvation Army charity auction on December 21, but their pockets were deep, raising $2,200 for the Christmas Appeal.

Auctioneer Travis Smith arrived at the newly expanded thrift shop in Ocean Grove and commenced the auction at 1pm, raking in big cash for hot ticket items.

A bidding war erupted for two tickets to Cold Chisel’s sold-out A Day on the Green concert, January 11 at Mt Duneed, before they eventually went under the hammer for $730 after a last-minute bid by James.

The surprise of the afternoon came when Mr Smith’s wife Emma arrived and successfully bid $600 for two season passes to the Geelong Arts Centre, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“I’m in trouble here, does anybody want to make a bid so my wife is not the winner. Anybody? I’ll take increments of a dollar, $601 anyone?” Travis Smith said.

Officer Peter Hobbs thanked volunteer Chris Reed for his coordination, organisation and commitment to the project, with Chris also the highest bidder for the signed cricket bat from the 2010 Australian men’s team.

Mr Hobbs also thanked volunteers Karen, Matthew, Tom and Kate for running the barbecue and their help in the setup and packing up for the event.

The money raised will go towards the Salvation Army in Clifton Springs, who currently service the Bellarine Peninsula and Greater Geelong region.