Standard Lions hold another successful Stag Auction

Manny Everett    

Times Contributor   

 

The Standard Lions Club held their 41st annual stag auction at the Standard Community Hall on Dec. 7. 

The auction began in 1971 as an outdoor auction that showcased used farm machinery, horses, cultivators and the like to build their bank account up in order to fund the building of the new arena. Since then, the auction has progressed to a full evening event with a supper and professional auctioneers.

This year’s 146 auction items brought in a gross of a whopping $97,975, with the group netting roughly around the $90,000 mark. Lions members from Chestermere, Cheadle, Rockyford, Keoma, Cochrane and Rosebud came to enjoy a night of fun and frivolity. Strathmore could not make the event but instead made a generous $2,000 donation in their absence.

Some highlights of the evening included the auctioning of the “infamous chromed shovel:” Years ago in 1985, Jim Brom, who worked for Al McKinnon at the Standard Farm Supplies had the shovel chromed and from then on it became the largest ticket item on the agenda to be auctioned off. The winner was then able to display with a memorial plaque the shovel in their place of business. John Getz (of Strathmore’s Getz and Associates) procured the coveted shovel for a mere $8,000 to be hung in his office.

Tervita in Standard bid highest at $3,000 for two of the Standard Arena’s ice logos which they generously donated one back to the Standard Co-Op.

Johnny Charlton (a two time Canadian Auctioneering Champion) from Brooks and Cody Hayes from Wheatland Auction Services, volunteered their expertise and time, did a fantastic job keeping the auction moving at a steady pace with plenty of opportunity fun “bidding wars” for entertainment.

Many ladies in these communities will have some great Christmas presents to open on Christmas morning.