Presque Isle Rotary Club Prepares for its 72nd Annual Auction
Aroostook County – Now into its 72nd year, the Presque Isle Rotary Auction continues to adjust with the changing times. The auction will now take place entirely online. Over 400 items valued at over $40, 000 have been donated by local businesses and will be auctioned off courtesy of Gregg Auctions online at www.greggauctions.com. Bidding is now open and is set to close on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 at 8 p.m . While the auction format may have changed, the spirit behind the auction remains the same. Proceeds from this year’s auction will benefit the Nordic Heritage Ski Center, Quoggy Jo Ski Center, Presque Isle Youth Hockey, and the Presque Isle Rotary Club Scholarship Fund.
“Every year, the Presque Isle Rotary Club hosts a very worthy group of auction proceed partners, and this year is no exception,” Rachel Rice, auction co-chair, said. “The Nordic Heritage, Quoggy Jo, and Presque Isle Youth Hockey all provide exceptional experiences, especially for our local youth, and the funds raised are going to help them continue to do that. And focusing on our Scholarship Fund will allow our club to continue its long tradition of supporting local high school graduates in their college goals.”
A kick off to the auction happened on October 12th at the 2nd Annual Kiwanis Gala & Auction, which took place at the UMPI Campus Center. The Gala included a mini-auction hosted by the PI Rotary and raised over $3,000 towards their partner organizations. The Presque Isle Kiwanis Club and the Presque Isle Rotary Club have joined forces for a third year to jointly raise funds for a worthy community cause. This year the organizations have rallied to support the Going Places Network PI Loop for their Community Project. Presque Isle native Mary Smith generously donated $270,000 towards the project and challenged the two organizations to raise a $50,000 match. The $50,000 will be used to construct bus shelters at each of the bus stops to shelter riders from the elements.
“Building these structures to support our bus service will be an asset for our City and the many people that need transportation,” PI Rotary Club President Clint Deschene said. “I am so excited that two organizations like Kiwanis and Rotary can see the value and combine our efforts to improve our community!”
The fixed bus loop launched last week and is quickly gaining momentum. The community as a whole recognizes how vital this program is in meeting the increasing need for public transportation services. Donations are coming in, both big and small, to support the effort. A special thank you goes out to the five largest donors so far, including S.W. Collins, the Irish Setter Pub, and the Presque Isle Nursing Home, who all generously donated $1,000. The Presque Isle Housing Authority has also contributed $1,500 and most recently the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Presque Isle donated $2,000 towards the effort.
“Our community has always stepped up when there is a need to be filled. We are so thankful for the generosity that has been shown over the past 72 years. These businesses have already stepped up to lead the way to make sure the citizens of this great community are being cared for. We are still asking that businesses and individuals consider donating to this important project to help fill the incredible need for public transportation here in Presque Isle,” added auction co-chair Sarah Ennis. If you are interested in donating to this year's community project you can call our special donation phone number at
The Presque Isle Rotary Club maintains a membership of approximately 90 individuals and is part of a world-wide organization of community volunteers. The slogan of Rotary is “Service Above Self” and the club seeks to live up to this ideal to support a variety of causes for the betterment of the community.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about Rotary or the Rotary Auction can visit www.presqueislerotary.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/presqueislerotary.
