Auction aids the Cornwall Child Center

CORNWALL — The Winter Social March 3 was the perfect chance to dream of (even) warmer days to come, with an opportunity to bid for stays at vacation homes around the world.It was also a chance to raise money for the Cornwall Child Center. It was a new twist on the traditional auction and last year’s popular wine tasting. About 90 people set the West Cornwall Railroad Station buzzing for the evening. They enjoyed catching up with friends and neighbors, making silent bids on vacations and touring the newly renovated historic train station. Its two floors had long ago been converted into a home by Elvira and Donald Hart, who purchased the abandoned depot from the Pennsylvania Railroad.Janet Carlson and John Sanders bought the historic landmark in 2009. They preserved the exterior appearance and converted the first floor to offices for their software business. The family of four lives on the second floor. The evening’s fun culminated with a live auction. Bidding on eight homes, in places such as Florida, Maine, New York City, and Colorado opened with the highest silent bid. Most did not go much beyond that, despite efforts by gavel-waving auctioneer Dave Cadwell.A week’s stay in a townhouse in Begur, Spain, brought two bids, topping out at $1,400. A villa on Amelia Island, Fla., went for the highest amount, with a motivated silent bidder closing the highest deal of the night at $2,700. An ocean-view home on Martha’s Vineyard went for a silent bid of $2,000 and a ski in/ski out condo at Crested Butte, Colo., went for $1,700.Cadwell had a chance to work the room on a stay in West Cork, Ireland. The bidding was lively, starting at $1,200 and ending at $1,800.A total of $11,600 was raised during the auction and the evening overall brought in $14,000.The evening, organized by the child center’s board of directors, included considerable community support, with donations of wine, beer, food and drawing prizes, as well as the vacation home stays. Admission and sponsors added to a successful effort to raise money to support programs at the center.

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