ADRIAN — The Adrian Breakfast Lions Club will host its annual radio auction on Saturday, April 25, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. The radio auction can be found online at Local Buzz Radio.
This is the third year that the auction has been held online only, said Doug Spade, who has been a member of the Lions Club for 46 years. The Adrian Breakfast Lions Club works with the Hillsdale Lions Club to line up auction items and sponsors. Proceeds are divided between the two clubs, based on which club lined up the merchandise or sponsor.
“This way, we can have bigger, more fun events,” Spade said, “and it’s good for clubs to work together and help each other.”
Radio auction sponsors make direct donations to the auction rather than offering merchandise. Rates range from $50 for two mentions during the auction up to a Platinum Sponsor for $500, which includes mention in pre-auction advertising as well as throughout the auction.
Auction items are posted on localbuzzradio.com. New additions will be posted every day until April 25. Buyers can go online and see what merchandise is available, but bids are only taken during the auction itself.
Eight operators will be stationed at Adrian High School to take bids throughout the auction. Items change every 30 minutes. The last two boards are the most valuable and can be bid on any time.
Spade said that last year there were between 15,000 and 20,000 views on the website before and during the auction. The radio auction raised a net profit of between $13,000 and $14,000 for the club. The money raised from the auction goes toward helping the many projects that the Adrian Breakfast Lions Club supports.
“Our club has always been small, but it’s very ambitious,” Spade said.
Proceeds from the auction go toward purchasing glasses and eye exams for those who might have trouble paying for them on their own, Spade said. The club also works with the Michigan Eye Bank to provide funding for eye transplants.
Locally, funds go toward supporting Little League, various programs at the Maurice Spear Campus and “An Evening with Santa” during the holiday season. The club also provides some funding for hearing aids and other audio devices.
The Adrian Breakfast Lions Club joined with the Lenawee Community Foundation to purchase a machine that allows people with visual impairment to listen to printed material. The machine, which is located at the Adrian District Library, can also enlarge the font size on printed material to make it easier to read.
Proceeds from the auction also go to support the Leader Dogs for the Blind school in Rochester. The school trains dogs for service with the visually impaired and provides them at no cost to qualified individuals. Spade, who is blind himself, said that he has always gotten his service dogs through the school.
Funds will also go toward a “Winter Camp” program for the blind, Spade said.
“We make our money go a long way,” he said.
“I really appreciate the generosity of our community,” he added. “The items are a good value and it’s a lot of fun.”
For more information, call 517-403-4104 or go to localbuzzradio.com. The Lions Club can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 412, Adrian, MI 49221.
Lions recognize milestones: Three Adrian Breakfast Lions Club members, Larry Atkin, Robert Guy and Terry Hicks, were recently recognized by Lions Club International for being members for 40 years.
Kids First All Ways: Adrian Morning Rotary will host its annual Kids First All Ways fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Hills of Lenawee Golf Club. Tickets are $90 and can be purchased at givebutter.com/kfaw26.
Kiwanis Clubs sponsor flag programs: Several local Kiwanis clubs, including Adrian, Addison, Morenci, and Tecumseh, are organizing community-wide flag displays once again this year. Anyone interested in participating can contact their local club.
