PORT ANGELES — Items for an auction sponsored by the Port Angeles Downtown Association to raise money for Haitian relief efforts are raking in the bids.
About 50 businesses — mostly in the downtown area — donated goods, services or gift certificates to a two-week silent auction to benefit the survivors of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that left an estimated 200,000 dead, 250,000 injured and 2 million homeless in the nation of 9 million after it hit on Jan. 12.
“So many things came in for the auction,” said Barb Frederick, the downtown association’s executive director.
“Some things are getting quite a few bids — but there are a few that haven’t gotten some, and are some really wonderful items.”
The items up for bid are scattered throughout the shops that donated them. The auction will wrap up at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Weather permitting, the Red Cross will announce the winners of the auction from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Laurel Street fountain.
Winners will pay the donation to the Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the American Red Cross, and get receipts for the items.
“Every dime we get out of this will go to Haitian relief through the Red Cross,” Frederick said.
The downtown association held silent auctions following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans in 2005.
“Between those two auctions we made about $17,000,” Frederick said.
“I think if we can raise about $5,000 to $7,000 for this one it would be really fantastic.”
Items include food, jewelry, special tours — a Twilight tour and a tour of the Port Angeles underground — a kayak wall rack, gift baskets, clothing, a flannel quilt, a one-year subscription to the Peninsula Daily News, champagne, a travel package in Victoria, a bronze pelican, a pound of chocolate every month for a year and many other gifts.
For those who wish to donate without bidding, several locations have donation bins.
Those include Golden Crafts, 112 S. Lincoln St.; Budget Tapes and Records, 111 W. Front St.; Waters West, 140 W. Front St.; Laurel Barber Shop, 108 N. Laurel St.; McCrorie Furnishings, 124 E. First St.; Pen Print, 230 E. First St.; and Peninsula Daily News, 305 W. First St.
For a complete list of businesses donating items and gifts available for bid, see the PADA Web site, www.portangelesdowntown.com.
Stores participating in the auction are:
Bay Variety, 135 W. First St.; Sound Bikes & Kayaks, 120 E. Front St.; Don Perry/Heritage and My Favorite Memory, with bids for both taken at Brown’s Outdoor, 112 W. Front, which also is offering its own item for bid; Olympic Stained Glass, 112 N. Laurel St.; Port Book and News, 104 E. First St.; Tiger Lily, 106 N. Laurel St.; Dairy Queen, 128 E. Railroad Ave.; Necessities & Temptations gift shop, 217 N. Laurel St.; Fountain Square Jewelers, 101 W. First St.; Quilted Strait, 139 W. First St.; Ernst Fine Art Photography, 120 N. Laurel St.
Port Angeles Symphony, the Port Angeles Community Players, Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts and PALOA — Port Angeles Light Opera Association — with bids for all four to be taken at Northwest Fudge and Confections, 108 W. First St., which also is offering its own item for bid.
Chestnut Cottage, 929 E. Front St.; Pacific Rim Hobby, 138 W. Railroad Ave.; Gregory Voyles Insurance, Armory Square, 228 W. First St.; Danielle Polly, Armory Square Mall; Family Shoe Store, 120 W. Front St.; Odyssey Bookshop, 114 W. Front St.; Rick’s Place, 104 W. Front St.; Aglazing Art Studio, 207 W. First St.; Port Angeles Antique Mall, 109 W. First St.; Cottage Queen, 119 W. First St.; Twisted, 108 E. First St.
Peninsula Daily News, 305 W. First St.; Smugglers Landing, 115 E. Railroad in The Landing mall; Country Aire Natural Foods, 117 E. First St.; Dazzled by Twilight, 135 E. First St.; The Landing Art Gallery, 115 E. Railroad in the Landing mall; Wine on the Waterfront, The Landing mall; Udjat Beads, 129 E. First St.; Fitness West, 114 S. Lincoln St.; Peak’s Pub, 130 S. Lincoln St.; Black Diamond Bridal, 109 E. First St.; Olympic Stationers, 122 E. Front St.; Victoria Centre/MV Coho, The Landing mall.
Mathews Glass, 117 N. Lincoln St.; Fiddleheads, 126 W. First St.; Steppin’ Out Salon, 125 W. First St.; Blue Dolphin, 116 E. Front St.; Naval Elks Lodge, 131 E. First St.; and Jim’s Pharmacy, 424 E. Second St.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.