More help needed for big auction

Creston event a major fundraiser for fire department

More than 7,000 people are expected to attend the 40th-anniversary edition of the Creston Auction, the annual fundraiser for the Creston Fire Department, on April 1-2.

For many, the event is an opportunity to make a little money, to pick up a bargain or to catch up with old friends.

But Janet Szabo, public information officer for the auction, sees the event in another light.

"This is the opportunity to say thank you to firemen who get up at 3 o'clock in the morning on a crummy night," Szabo said. "You can put in a day's worth of work to raise money for something that ultimately benefits you."

Szabo is concerned that the volunteer numbers have not been keeping pace with the growth of the auction.

She said that it is becoming especially difficult to find people willing to take responsibility for different areas of the auction.

It takes roughly 200 volunteers to run the event, which usually raises between $25,000 and $30,000 each year for the fire department.

The money, Szabo said, allows for important spending above the regular budget of about $100,000. The department recently purchased one new and one slightly used engine, and new oxygen tanks for the firefighters.

Two engines have been retrofitted to use fire-retardant foam to put out fires. Szabo said the Creston district is the only volunteer department in the valley that has trucks outfitted for the foam, which does less damage to a structure than water when putting out a fire.

"For the person who lives in Creston, they need to understand that they are so well-protected," Szabo said. "We have one of the best fire-protection districts in the state."

Creston Fire Chief Gary Mahugh has been part of every Creston Auction, working there as a child and then participating during each of his 32 years as a department member.

"The auction keeps getting bigger and bigger, and there are so many jobs to do," he said. "We haven't seen a lot more people come forward. People often just don't know who to ask when they want to help, so we're asking for the help of the people in the East Valley."

Mahugh said there are a few areas where extra hands are always needed. The biggest contingent of volunteers is required on March 31, when consignments are taken in for the next day's auction. Food service areas can always use help, he said.

And for those who want to do their part by bringing in auction items, Mahugh stresses that the auction shouldn't be treated as a dumping spot.

"We're trying to target good merchandise," Mahugh said. "If it's trash, it needs to go to the trash, not the Creston Auction. If it's junk, it will sell like junk, which takes a lot of time and no one makes any money."

Mahugh also wants to emphasize that people who live in other fire districts can designate that their percentage of the sales profits go to their home fire department.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the auction should call Szabo at 261-5913.

Reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4431 or by e-mail at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com.