As a private school, Northwestern provides many opportunities for financial aid for their students. These opportunities benefit a multitude of students and assist them in financially affording the Christian community experience that NW offers. One of the fundraisers this year includes the 36th annual Scholarship Auction on Saturday, Feb. 9, a chance for patrons, alumni and students to enjoy a social event and participate in a meaningful cause.
This event will begin with a pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m. hosted by the American Legion in Orange City. The morning will include a silent auction and an audible auction taking place in the Rowenhorst Student Center. The four sections of the silent auction will begin closing at 9 a.m. in increments of 30 minutes. People will have the chance to write down bids for the products they find intriguing until the time runs out. There will also be a “buy-it-now” option for each of the 260 items in the silent section, in which the item can be purchased on the spot for one and a half times the original price. That event begins at 9 a.m.
The audible auction, beginning at 11 a.m., will include over 100 items, including professional golf items, fishing trips, a Magnolia trip, professional sports items, homemade t-shirt quilts, flower arrangements and more. While there will be many larger items at the audible auction, the silent auction will have both small and large items. The Scholarship Auction will end between 12:30 and 1 p.m.
Volunteers, NW alumni and current students will assist throughout the morning. As a National Alumni Board event, there will be many well-known faces helping out with items and bidding numbers during the auction.
With over 208 donors from all over the country, the auction is a big opportunity to raise money for NW. Last year, about $35,000 was raised which allowed 198 scholarships to be given away. This year, they hope to exceed this amount.
The auction is run by a computerized system, which makes it easy to use an assigned number in the morning and pay at the end. Many businesses throughout the community get involved with donations, advertising and participation.
There will be other tables at the Scholarship Auction, including a table with complimentary pop, popcorn and Twin Bing bars, a second-chance table for items that were not originally sold during the silent auction and a table with discounted NW clothing.
With a morning filled to the brim with excitement, the Scholarship Auction on Saturday is an event you won’t want to miss.
