| The Crowder College Foundation's scholarship fund is $20,000 richer thanks to people who bid on holiday decorations during a recent event on campus.
The Longwell Museum in the Elsie Plaster Commuity Center sparkled with tinsel and twinkling lights on December 1, 2005, as approximately 175 guests tried to outbid each other for their favorite wreath, garland or decorated tabletop tree.
Neosho auctioneer Bob Lasswell motivated the crowd to dig deeper into their pockets for the worthy cause that Mary Ellen Simms, foundation president, explained helps students attend Crowder College. Offerings were on a buy now basis, silent auction or open bid.
The top bid of $5,000 was from Vicki Babbitt, a member of the Crowder College Board of Directors from McDonald County. Among other items for which she bid separately that she took home was a tree decorated with retired pieces from the collection of artist Linda Lindquist Baldwin that alone commanded several hundred dollars apiece.
In the extreme several silent auction wreaths were sold for an average of $35.00 or far below their retail value. And one lucky raffle winner for as little as $5.00 went home with a wreath from Steven Christopher Jewelers of Neosho that was decorated with gemstones and items of jewelry.
The auction met its claim that it had something for everyone.
Top row L-R, Lavern Beaver of Goodman gestures to Lori Marble, Crowder information director; Crowder College Foundation special events chair, Jan Griffith and Mary Ellen Sims, president introduce the event; artist Linda Lindquist Baldwin shows off her Bellsnickles that decorate a tabletop tree that went for $5,000. Middle L-R, A wreath donated by Cycle Connection of Joplin is a trimmed tire rim from a Harley; the tabletop tree winning the second highest bid of $2700 was designed by Debbie Werneke of Silhouette Imaging of Neosho; auctioneer Bob Lasswell of Neosho makes a return engagement. Bottom L-R, the crowd mingles and munches; Crowder President Stephen Gates thanks the crowd for their generosity; and a participant looks for the jewelry and semi-precious stones adorning a wreath by Steven Christopher Jewelers of Neosho used as the prize drawing. Click on thumbnail for a larger image.
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