WCTV Live Auction: TV for a cause

May 18, 2013

For the fourth year in a row, the Wareham Community Television Live Auction pulled together an abundance of donated goods and services to raise money for two very worthy causes.

The event, sponsored by Bay Pointe, Eastern Bank, and Mayflower Bank, is aimed at raising money for the Christopher Donovan Day School and the Hurricane Sandy Coalition, which has been assisting Guyon Rescue - a Staten Island based organization - in rebuilding after the area was devastated by the storm last fall.

The Christopher Donovan Day School is a private elementary school for children with developmental disabilities.

The event was broadcast until midnight on Comcast Channel 9 and Verizon Channel 30. It is also streaming live at www.warehamtv.org.

It addition to auctioning off donated items, there were performances by the Kaleidoscope School of Dance and Gymnastics, the Showstoppers, Kat Jones, Hot Soup, and more.

According to Sally Morrison, who was instrumental in organizing the event, WCTV collected a plethora of auction items which she hopes will mean more money for the charities the auction supports.

"It definitely should exceed other years because we have far more items," said Morrison.

Those items include Red Sox tickets, artwork, antiques, duck boat tours, and more.

"People were very generous. It was slow going at first, but the people really stepped up," said auction volunteer Eleanor Martin.

Martin said that the plastic piggybank "Coinks" that have been distributed in businesses and schools  throughout town have raised a total of $3,000 for the Guyon Rescue.

She noted that the area is still in dire need of help, and Wareham's adopted sister town has not been forgotten.

"They've not progressed as far as you would think," said Martin. "It's still pretty sad."

Morrison, Martin, Angela Dunham, Claire Smith and other volunteers flitted about the set that was set up at the Bay Pointe Club  readying the items for the auction.

Morrison says that the event would not be possible without the cadre of volunteers that donate their time to make it happen. And why does she do it?

"I'm nuts," she said with a laugh. "I love love love Rose Berry (of Eastern Bank). If she wasn't organizing the office, I would very much implode."

She also said that the event would not be possible without the help of the production staff at WCTV.

"When I say something, they roll their eyes, then they roll up their sleeves."