Honors Program to host silent auction for Isabella Community Soup Kitchen
With prizes such as hotel stays, wireless headphones, sporting equipment and more, Central Michigan University’s 10th annual Honors Program Silent Auction will be the largest silent auction on CMU’s campus, according to CMU's website.
There is no entry cost, and all students and community members are invited to attend. It is set to be held Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with attendees encouraged to come and go at their leisure. It will be located in the Bovee University Center Rotunda.
Bidding on these rewards supports a local cause. The funds raised from this event will benefit the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen. The soup kitchen offers meals to Isabella County’s residents, including senior citizens, working families, single parents and college students at no cost, according to their website.
The soup kitchen, which is open for breakfast and lunch every weekday, was founded in 1990 by CMU alumnus Gary Taylor. According to the kitchen's website, Taylor “witnessed a fellow student from China eating a ketchup sandwich, the only food available to him at that time.”
Through partnerships with local services and groups, such as the Wesley Foundation and Trinity Methodist Church, the program evolved and eventually settled into its current location at 621 S. Adams St. near Millpond Park.
The auction is sponsored by CMU’s Honors Program, which also hosts events throughout the year, such as a charity ball and a gong celebration. The program has hosted the auction every year since 2013.
Last year, at least 120 people bid on an item at least once, and the number is expected to be higher this year, according to the Honors Program team in a statement to Central Michigan Life.
"This year, we wanted to involve our entire Honors community in the process (of assembling the event.) The charity was chosen by a poll that was disseminated to all of our Honors students. We also assembled a panel of 19 student volunteers from among our Honors Program community to play pivotal roles in organizing and managing the auction. Last year, we had 100 items up for auction. This year, our amazing student organizers were able to bring that total up to 129 with the help of the generous businesses and individuals in our on-campus and off-campus community," the statement said.
For more information, check the Central Michigan University Honors Program’s Facebook page, or Instagram account.
