CHINA GROVE Carson High School proved to be a basket case Saturday.
But that was all right for the people who strolled among the tables and wrote down their bids at a "Scholarship Silent Auction" sponsored by the Principal and Assistant Principal's Association.
PAPA, as the school leaders like to call their group, had some 80 gift baskets on display in the attractive, wide-open entrance to Carson High and accepted bids on the items for three hours.
The highest bids at 6 p.m. took home the baskets, many of which were valued at several hundred dollars.
The principals hoped to raise $3,000 from this fundraiser so they can give a $500 scholarship to a student at each of the six Rowan County high schools.
Guidance counselors at the high schools will recommend students for those scholarships near the end of the school year.
"This was very much a group effort by all the schools," said Susan Sigmon, principal at Morgan Elementary and chairman of the scholarship committee.
All the items that made up the baskets were donated from schools, businesses and organizations.
"Whatever we make is full profit," Sigmon said.
Beverly Pugh, principal of Corriher-Lipe Middle School and president of PAPA, said she was impressed with the variety of things the auction offered.
The idea of "baskets" was taken liberally.
Knox Middle School offered a tall bookcase stuffed with popular games, including Monopoly, Operation, Battleship, Uno, Dominoes and the like. The "basket" had a value going into the auction of $250.
Southeast Middle School put up the "Outdoorsman Basket," which was really a big cooler full of things such as a Coleman lantern, scent bombs, an angler's tool, hand and body warmers, Bass Pro Shops gift cards, fishing lures, targets, gun wipes, hunter's soap, survival guide, trail mix and more.
It even included a shooting bench.
Then there was Bostian Elementary's "Bow-Wow Dog Basket" in honor of the school's mascot, the Bulldog.
The basket was really a dog bed holding, among other things, a leash, beef rawhides, dry and wet dog food, toys, treats, towel, blanket, grooming supplies and a 20-foot tieout.
The office on Ellis Street offered a "TV Time" basket that included nine popular DVDs, a DVD player and lots of snacks for movie watching.
Overall, many of the basket themes touched on fall and winter, Christmas, racing, the Carolina Panthers, breast cancer awareness, beauty products, home decor, books, snacks, gardening, games even stamp collecting.
Pugh liked the "Patio Host" basket a garden cart loaded up with things such as charcoal, barbecue tools and plants.
Helen Brown was one of the first bidders to arrive Saturday afternoon, and she wrote bids under a lot of baskets. She said she gave herself a $500 limit going in.
Midway through the bidding she hoped she hadn't gotten carried away.
It was the first time PAPA tried a silent auction to raise money. In the past, the group often worked hard at a barbecue fundraiser held before the Super Bowl.
PAPA also scheduled entertainment throughout the three hours Saturday, including One Faith, the East Rowan Honors Chorus, the West Rowan Middle Orff Ensemble and the Corriher-Lipe Middle Chorus.
PAPA sold $5 tickets for a miniature basketball signed by former University of North Carolina Basketball Coach Dean Smith. Other items also were auctioned off early, such as a homemade apple spice cake.
The silent auction idea started out on a small scale, Pugh said. The principals first talked about having it at someone's house. But then it took off.
"The schools came through so well," Sigmon said, "and this is a great location."
The principals chose Carson on purpose, hoping that many people would come just to see the new high school for the first time.
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