DuBOIS — When the DuBois Rotary Club launches its annual charity auction March 2–6, the bidding won’t just be about winning gift baskets, sports memorabilia or vacation packages.
It will be about sending students to college, funding leadership training and supporting families facing medical crises.
“It’s our one big fundraiser for the year,” said club President Jay Lohn. “And the beauty is that all the money raised stays here.”
For Lohn, that local impact is what makes the event meaningful. While Rotary is part of the global network of Rotary International, known worldwide for efforts like eradicating polio, he said the DuBois club’s focus is firmly rooted in the community.
“We typically support 25 or more local nonprofits each year,” Lohn explained. “From cancer-related expenses to youth organizations to humanitarian needs — we try to impact as many areas as we can.”
Scholarships that change lives
One of the most visible results of the auction is education support. Each year, the club awards about 10 $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors from area high schools. In addition, the club sponsors another 10 local juniors to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program at Westminster College.
“It affects students in two different stages — juniors and seniors,” Lohn said. “That’s something we’re really proud of.”
During last year’s expanded radio coverage, past scholarship recipients and community partners shared personal stories about how the funding helped them — something Lohn said added a new dimension to the auction.
“It gave us more of a venue to talk about the good we do,” he said. “People could actually hear from those who were impacted.”
How to listen and bid
The auction runs online from 10 a.m. March 2 through March 6, with bidding organized into daily segments. Groups of items open for 24 hours at a time, while higher-value items remain available all week.
Participants can access the auction through the club’s website (https://duboisrotaryclub.org/), where a link on the homepage directs users to the bidding platform. Once registered, bidders can monitor prices in real time, receive text or email alerts if they’re outbid and set automatic maximum bids.
In addition to online bidding, the auction will also feature live daily radio broadcasts on Sunny 106.5 highlighting items and interviewing local organizations that benefit from the fundraiser. Broadcasts are scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday. The club also plans to stream segments online through social media.
“We wanted something more user-friendly,” Lohn said of the online platform. “Not everyone is tech-savvy, but this makes it easy to participate.”
Evolving with the times
While the Rotary auction dates back decades — with records showing nearly $750,000 raised over the past 23 years alone — it has evolved significantly.
Last year marked its first fully online format, replacing the traditional single-day radio-only event. This year, the club is using a new platform designed to simplify bidding and expand participation, Lohn said.
The updated system also allows more payment options, including credit and debit cards, electronic transfers and digital wallets.
The shift online has also opened doors beyond the DuBois area.
“We’ve opened our bidding database to friends around the country,” Lohn said. “But even if someone in another state wins an item, that money still comes back here.”
Interest appears to be growing as the auction gets closer.
Lohn noted that this year’s auction has already surpassed $100,000 worth of items available for bidding, a record total value for the event.
From sports memorabilia to getaways
This year’s auction features a wide range of items — from local gift cards and services to high-profile collectibles and travel packages.
Among the headline items are autographed collectibles from pop superstar Taylor Swift and sports memorabilia tied to teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Other featured packages include trips to Mexico, Smoky Mountains getaways, a BMW golf experience, glamping trips to Great Lakes or national park destinations and even a NASCAR racing experience.
“We tried to think outside the box,” Lohn said. “The more exciting the items, the more potential we have to raise money.”
Meeting growing needs
Lohn said the need in the community continues to grow, which makes the fundraiser even more important.
“There’s always more need,” he said. “If we can raise more, we can give more.”
Local nonprofits can apply for grant funding through June 1 via the club’s website. Requests may range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the project.
“We want people to know the auction isn’t just about bidding,” Lohn added. “It’s about awareness. It’s about knowing that support is available — and that this community takes care of its own.”
As bidding opens March 2, organizers hope residents will see the auction not simply as an opportunity to win something unique, but as a chance to invest in neighbors, students and local causes.
“We’re trying to shatter previous records this year,” Lohn said. “But at the end of the day, it’s not about the number. It’s about the impact.”
