Food bank auction suits all tastes

By MICHELLE JONES

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

LAND O'LAKES -- Dana Reuter prepares for the Pasco Food Bank auction all year long.

She gathers items, uses her creativity and imagination and produces themed baskets overflowing with items for people to bid on.

Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Reuter's baskets, along with gift certificates to restaurants, cruises, scuba diving lessons, original signed prints, furniture, a patio set, a color printer, long-stemmed roses and a steer can be bid upon during the silent auction and the live auction portion of the gala that is the food bank's only fundraising event of the year.

The food bank provides food for needy people throughout the year, and Clara's Closet has clothing and household items available to purchase at reasonable prices.

The auction will be at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge on YMCA Road, off U.S. 41. Tickets are $15 per person, and the admission price covers barbecue, finger foods, salads, snacks and desserts as well as the right to bid on an item of choice. A cash bar also will be available.

This year, Reuter created an Out of Africa basket with original artwork, several elephant-themed knickknacks, a small woven basket with a carved frog that serves as a handle, and a tile dish. She also has a pet basket with treats for dogs and cats, an office supply basket and a couch potato basket with classic movie videos and coupons for movie rentals, pizza, soda and beer. She has even created a Queen for a Day basket with a tiara and coupons for getting hair and nails done.

A pink basket bursts with a bottle of wine, chocolates, candles, goblets, teak rose dishes and a pink piggy bank with lottery tickets.

"Dana has the touch to make a basket look like a million dollars," said Karen Buck, assistant director of the food bank.

This is the food bank's seventh annual auction. Last year, $17,000 was raised, and Buck says they hope to raise $22,000 or more this year.

There will be 41 items to bid on during the live portion of the auction and at least 100 objects to bid on during the silent auction.

This year the food will be served outside on a newly enclosed patio to make more room for the silent auction items.

Auctioneers are Pasco Circuit Judge William Webb, who is donating a football autographed by Gators football coach Steve Spurrier to go to the highest bidder, Tim Hayes, Russell Adams and Kurt Conover.

"We asked Kurt's wife, Sandra, to be our Vanna White," said Reuter. "She agreed to do it."

The live auction will feature items including a terrier-mix puppy, a silver bracelet with 14 semiprecious stones, gold jewelry, antiques, a garden cart, a money jar with an undetermined amount of money plus two lottery tickets, an antique mahogany table and four chairs, mystery novels, a Memphis-style pork barbecue dinner for 12 with all the trimmings, bicycles and Elvis memorabilia.

An autographed copy of Sook's Cookbook, by Marie Rudisill, the aunt of Truman Capote, filled with traditional Southern recipes and memories, also will be on the auction block.

Helping this year will be Glenn Belton and 14 employees and their families from Washington Mutual Finance. They refer to themselves as the CAN group (committed active neighbors).

The group will set up the auction and help with security.

The CAN program is a corporatewide program that encourages employees to give back to their community.

"They will be there to do whatever needs to be done," said Buck. "He (Belton) is also donating the barbecue dinner."

-- Michelle Jones covers central Pasco community news. She can be reached at (813) 226-3459. Her e-mail address is jones@sptimes.com

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